


To be a Family

by southernbellesoccer



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-02
Updated: 2014-08-27
Packaged: 2018-01-21 14:55:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 46
Words: 89,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1554371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/southernbellesoccer/pseuds/southernbellesoccer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ashlyn Harris was at the start of a promising soccer career, playing for New York in the WPS, when her best friend from college, a single mother with no family, calls her in need of help. Ashlyn returns to her college home town to find out that her best friend is dying and is asking Ashlyn to be her son’s guardian upon her death.</p><p>Skip two-three year - Ashlyn is now an assistant coach for the women’s soccer team at her alma mater. She thought she was doing well and providing everything that her adopted son needed. However, after meeting Ali Krieger and her brother, Ashlyn realizes that there is so much more to offer her son in terms of a family and Ali Krieger is the answer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Bec!” Ashlyn called as she entered her best friend’s apartment. She had promised Becky that she would fly down to Chapel Hill from New York as soon as the WPS final was over. She had gotten a cab to her friend’s apartment and didn’t bother to knock upon her arrival but used the spare key instead. “Yo BECKY! You here?” Ashlyn tried again.

“SSSHHHH! God, Ashlyn, I just got Elijah down for his nap.” The small brunet said as she walked down the hall.

“Opps?” Ashlyn said with a face of innocence. She forgets sometimes that she is coming to not only visit her best friend but also her 5 month old godson. “So how is Eli?”

“Elijah.” Becky corrected. “And he’s fine.”

Ashlyn rolled her eyes, “Why are you so insistent on Elijah? I’m just trying to give the kid a nick-name.”

“Because my dad went by Elijah, never Eli and I want my son to be the same.” Becky stated matter-of-factly.

“Alright, alright. I’ll try my best to stick with Elijah. Now where should I put my stuff?” Ashlyn said as she held up her duffle bag.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Once Ashlyn had gotten settled in and freshened up from her plane ride she took a seat on the couch as her friend brought in a beer for her.

Ashlyn studied her friend carefully as she sat down beside her. Becky was the best left back Ashlyn had ever had play in front of her. They were roommates their last two years of college. But the Becky that Ashlyn was currently looking at wasn’t the same fearless defender. She looked a little frail. Her hand shook as she passed Ashlyn the beer. Her eyes looked tired as well. She wasn’t quiet the careless college student Ashlyn remembered. But then again, Becky was far from those college days even if they only graduated a mere two years ago. By the age of twenty-two, she had lost both of her parents. Her father had died in Afghanistan when she was a teenager and her mother died of colon cancer her freshman year at UNC. On top of that, her boyfriend left her over a year ago when he found out she was pregnant. Ashlyn was all she had left.

“So was I called in for back-up duty to help out with the little man? You’re looking a little tired.” Ashlyn joked.

Becky shook her head and tried to hold back her tears. “Ashlyn, I…I need to have a serious conversation with you.”

“Ok.” Ashlyn said a little hesitantly. “Shoot.”

“Do you remember when Elijah was born? I had you sign some legal documents before you left to go back to New York. Do you remember that?”

The twenty-four year old goal keeper nodded, “Yeah, I remember that. It’s incase anything happens to you.”

Becky took in a deep breath, “Did you mean it? Did you mean it when you signed those papers saying you would always take care of my son if anything happened to me?”

Ashlyn’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “Of course I did, Bec. Where is this coming from?”

Becky wiped away the single tear that fell down her face. “I need you to hold to that promise now, Ash. I need you to take care of him.”

“What do you mean?” Ashlyn asked in a panic.

“I have colon cancer. It’s spread. They can’t really do anything for me anymore.”

“Cancer!? You’re 24 years-old, Bec! You don’t have cancer!” Ashlyn yelled.

“It’s uncommon but it happens. The fact my mother died of the same thing didn’t help my risks. I caught it too late. I should have seen the signs but I didn’t. I need you to take care of him, Ashlyn. When I’m gone you are going to be all he has left.”

Ashlyn chocked back her own sob in an attempt to be strong for her friend. She took Becky in her arms and held her close. “I’m here. I’m always here.” Ashlyn whispered.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ Three Years Later ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn remembered the day her best friend died like it was yesterday. It changed Ashlyn’s whole world, and Ashlyn was currently watching that change play in a sandbox at the park. Ashlyn sometimes questions how her life might be different. Would she still be playing soccer professionally? Would she have had more chances to meet ‘the one’? She’s still young, only 27, she wonders, but that is as far as her thoughts go.

She doesn’t question those things often because watching her best friend slowly die for a month while caring for her infant son was the worst thing Ashlyn has ever and will ever experience. But now, caring for that little boy as her own son and loving him and watching him grow has been the biggest blessing in her life. She’s happy.

Ashlyn snapped out of her thoughts as she watched the three and half year old little boy running towards her. “Mama!” he called out as he jumped into Ashlyn’s awaiting arms. “Can we have icecream?”

“Icecream? I think it might be too close to your nap time for all that sugar.” Ashlyn responded.

“Pleasssseeee?” Elijah begged. Ashlyn tried to look away from the deep blue eyes that where currently giving her the puppy dog look. Ashlyn wasn’t entirely sure how a brown haired boy ended up getting those blue eyes, but she cursed them every time he gave her that look. She couldn’t say no.

“Ok. MAYBE.” Ashlyn said stressing the ‘maybe.’ “But you have to go play some more to work off all that energy you got.” She said tickling his sides until he laughed all the way back to the slides.

Ashlyn let her eyes wander for a few seconds until they landed on a bench on the opposite side of the park. Ashlyn’s jaw almost dropped at the sight of a young woman laughing hysterically at the man beside her who had just dropped his icecream in his lap. The girl almost looked familiar but Ashlyn couldn’t pinpoint why. The woman had an adorable nose crinkle when she smiled and Ashlyn was captivated immediately. The non-flirty playfulness between the couple was enough for Ashlyn to assume that they were probably not dating. And by their looks they might even be siblings. Of course there was no way for Ashlyn to know whether or not the woman was gay but that wasn’t going to stop her from taking a shot.

When she noticed the dark haired woman stand up and start walking to the icecream stand, probably to get the man another cone, she decided to take her shot.

“Hey! Elijah! Come on. Let’s get icecream now.” Ashlyn called over to her son.

Elijah immediately ran over to his mom, “Really?”

“Really, squirt. Now come on.” Ashlyn said picking him up and tossing him over her shoulder like a sack of dog food.

Elijah laughed and kicked his feet in a small attempt to get down, but he wasn’t going to try too hard. He was beginning to get tired.

Ashlyn strolled up casually to the icecream cart getting in line behind the beautiful woman she had seen across the park. She knew that she needed to play this cool so she went with what she knew.

She leaned up slightly enough to get the woman’s attention before starting, “Did you know that the average American eats 20 quarts of icecream per year?”

The woman smiled and raised an eyebrow but didn’t bother to turn and look at Ashlyn. “Really? That doesn’t sound very healthy.”

Ashlyn smiled. She had gotten a response. That was something. Ashlyn also noticed that the woman had a bit of an accent. That was a plus. “I can’t imagine that it is, yet here we both are, buying icecream.”

The girl laughed. Success. “Are you suggesting that I not buy icecream?”

“Of course not. It’s to delicious not to.”

“True.” The woman simply responded and Ashlyn took this as her chance to ask about the accent.

“So you’re not from around here. Where are you from?”

“Why do you assume I’m not from around here?”

“Well, for starters, it’s a college town. Nobody is ever really from around here. Second, you got a killer accent but it’s definitely not from North Carolina.”

The shorter woman shrugged, “Ok. I’ll give you that. I’m originally from Virginia. But I’ve lived in Germany the past four years.”

“Germany? What took the Virginia girl all the way overseas?”

“Soccer.”

Ashlyn was dumbstruck. Of all the girls she could have chosen to hit on, she unknowingly chooses a soccer player. “Really? You play?”

The woman nodded.

“Who for? What position?”

“FFC Frankfort. Right back. My brother and I are actually in town for UNC’s game tomorrow. They are playing my alma mater, Penn State.”

Ashlyn openly rolled her eyes. “You have got to be kidding me?”

The woman looked at her confused, “What?”

Ashlyn stuck her hand out for the woman to shake, which the woman took with a raised eyebrow. “Ashlyn Harris. Assistant Coach for the women’s soccer team at UNC.”

The woman caught on. “Oh gosh! Well, I’m Ali Krieger. Graduate of Penn State. I also play on the women’s national team here in the U.S.”

“That’s where I recognize you from!” Ashlyn said with a slap to her head. “Well, it is very nice to meet you, Ali.” Ashlyn said with a smug smile.

“Hey! What about me!?” A peep of a voice called out from the boy thrown over Ashlyn’s shoulder.

“Oh, yes, how could I forget?” Ashlyn brought Elijah from over her shoulder but still kept him in her arms resting him on her hip. “Introduce yourself, little man.” Ashlyn encouraged.

Elijah stuck his hand out for Ali to shake. “I’m Elijah Harris. But my mama is the only one that calls me Elijah. My friends call me Eli.” The three year old said confidently.

Ali giggled at the boy’s grown-like behavior and took his extended hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Elijah. I’m Ali. Do you mind if I call you Elijah too? I kinda like it.”

Elijah blushed and nodded his head. When Ali turned her attention away it was time for her to order her icecream. She ordered another cone for her brother and then waited beside the cart for Ashlyn and Eli to get their cones.

“Why don’t you join me and my brother? We are just sitting on that bench over there.” Ali said with a nod to the man Ashlyn saw earlier.

“Sure.” Ashlyn said while following Ali over.

They reached the bench and Ali handed her brother the icecream cone. Ashlyn immediately noticed that their smiles where identical. “Kyle, this is Ashlyn Harris, the assistant coach at UNC, and her son, Elijah. Ashlyn, Elijah, this is my brother Kyle.”

Ashlyn and Kyle shook hands and exchanged greetings, but Ashlyn could have sworn that she saw Ali give Kyle a look that she wished she could decipher.

However, it didn’t take long to figure it out when Kyle bent down to Elijah’s level just after Ashlyn had set him on the ground. “So, Eli…Is it ok that I call you Eli?” Kyle asked.

The boy nodded.

“Awesome, so, Eli, why don’t you ask your mom if it’s ok for you to go play on the swings with me over there while they talk soccer. We will be extra careful not to drop our icecream.”

Eli’s eyes went wide as he turned to Ashlyn, “Can I, mama?” he asked.

Ashlyn smiled, so the look was to get her brother to leave so they could talk. Nice move, Ali.

“Sure. Just be careful.” Ashlyn instructed as he was already running off to the swings being careful to not drop his icecream.

Ashlyn took a seat on the bench and Ali quickly joined. “He’s a cute kid. How old is he?” Ali finally asked to break the silence.

“Three and a half.” Ashlyn responded, still keeping her eye on her son as he played with Kyle.

Ali snorted, “Oh, I bet that’s a fun age.”

Ashlyn laughed, “You can’t imagine.”

“So, you’re a coach at UNC. I’m assuming that means you played soccer?” Ali said.

“I did. Goal keeper. I played all four years at UNC and then played for New York in the WPS for two years.”

Ali raised her eyebrows at that, “You played professionally? Why did you stop?” Ali asked without thinking.

Ashlyn shrugged and looked back towards Elijah, “Things came up. Plans change.”

Ali looked off in the same direction as Ashlyn and smiled when she saw her brother scooping up the little boy in his arms to play airplane. Ali’s smile slightly faded as she understood. ‘Things came up.’ Like becoming a mom.

“So, how did you get the coaching job at UNC?” Ali said changing the subject a little.

Ashlyn shrugged again, “Uhhmmm, I needed a job. I was kind of stuck here in North Carolina at the time I needed one. My family lives in Florida, so Coach Dorrance kind of took me in. I was an assistant to the goal keeper coach when he first gave me the job three years ago, and I just worked my way up to assistant coach this year.”

“That’s really great.” Ali said enthusiastically. “But if your family is in Florida why haven’t you tried to get a job there?”

“I’ve thought about it.” Ashlyn admitted. “It would be nice to be closer to my family. My parents hate how little they get to see Elijah, but it looks like I might be moving from here soon anyway. So it doesn’t matter.”

“Moving?” Ali asks with a raised eyebrow. “Better coaching position?”

“Yeah, I guess. I’m sure you’ve heard about the new professional league. NWSL?”

Ali nodded.

“Well, one of the teams has asked me to consider being their head goal keeping coach. I’m seriously considering it.”

Ali smiled widely, “Really!? Which one!? Maybe it’s the team that I will get allocated to.”

Ashlyn smirked at her excitement. “I’m actually not allowed to say until it’s final. Sorry.”

Ali pouted, “Not even a hint?”

Ashlyn shook her head and laughed.

Ashlyn looked over to see Kyle holding a very sleepy looking Elijah, trying to draw Elijah’s attention to a pile of dirt in the sandbox. Ali followed Ashlyn’s gaze. “Looks like someone’s tired.”

Ashlyn glanced down at her watch, “Yeah, it’s like an hour past his nap time. I should be getting him home.”

Ali’s smile slightly dropped, “Oh, ok.”

Ashlyn noticed the drop in her smile and knew it was her time to make a move, “Look, I…I don’t know if you’re gay, but I would regret it if I didn’t even try so…” Ashlyn nervously bit her lip. “Would you like to go out tomorrow night after the game? I mean, I know you are technically on vacation with your brother, and I totally understand if you don’t want to leave him alone, but-”

Ali reached out and grabbed Ashlyn’s hand immediately bringing Ashlyn’s rambling to a stop. “I would love to go out with you. But keep in mind that I’ll be wearing my Penn State jersey win or lose.”

Ashlyn laughed, “As long as you don’t mind that I will be wearing my UNC shirt.”

“Then it’s a date.”

Ashlyn sighed in relief. “Great. So I guess I’ll see you at the game tomorrow. I can show you and Kyle around the facilities after the game and then I can take you for dinner afterwards?”

“Perfect.”

Ashlyn smiled and stood up from the bench to go and receive Elijah. Ali followed.

Kyle smiled as he saw the two women approaching. “Did you ladies have a nice chat?”

“We did.” Ashlyn responded. “Thank you so much for being little man’s entertainment. Looks like you wore him out.”

“I tried my best.” Kyle said proudly as he passed the almost sleeping little boy up to his mother.

“Looks like it. Thank you, again.” Ashlyn then turned with a smile to Ali. “I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow then?”

Ali giggled, “Looking forward to it.”

Kyle waited until Ashlyn was out of earshot before turning to his sister, “So, do I need to find myself something to do tomorrow after the game?”

Ali smirked up at her brother, “What do you think?” then she walked off and left Kyle running to catch up.


	2. Chapter 2

Ashlyn was running around her apartment searching for her keys when she heard the doorbell ring. She knew it was her best friend, Whitney, so she just called for her to come in. Whitney walked into the living room to find Ashlyn in khaki shorts and a sports bra lifting couch cushions in obvious search of something.

 

Whitney laughed, “Need help?”

“Yes!” Ashlyn yelled without turning around. “Can you go to Elijah’s room and change him into the UNC jersey and shorts that are laying on his bed. He should just be playing with his cars in his room.”

“Can’t I just help you find whatever it is you’re looking for and you go dress him?”

“Please, Whit? I’m already running late.”

“Ok, whatever.” Whitney responded and headed down the hall to her honorary nephew’s room.

Whitney had already gotten Eli’s shorts on and was struggling to get him to put his shirt on when she heard Ashlyn yell, “Found them! I gotta be leaving in ten minutes, Whit!”

“OK!” Whitney yelled back before laughing and whispering “You’re mama is so crazy.” into Elijah’s ear and shoving the shirt over the boy’s head.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Once they had reached the stadium, Ashlyn passed Elijah over to her friend. “Thanks again for watching him tonight.”

“No problem.” Whit said as she continued to follow Ashlyn into her office. “But when are you going to tell me about this date? All you said when you asked if I could keep him tonight was that you had met a girl at the park.”

“Oh Yeah! About that…” Ashlyn paused as she went through her desk drawer and pulled out an envelope with four tickets in it and passed them to Whitney. “These are for the two of you and then my date and her brother.”

Whitney gave Ashlyn a dumb look, “And how am I supposed to get these to your date?”

“They already have tickets so they can get in. But these are better seats so I need you to find them and bring them to the new seats.” Ashlyn explained flatly, already focused on something on her computer screen.

“Sounds great. One problem.”

Ashlyn’s head snapped up, “What?”

“I don’t know your date. How am I supposed to find her?”

Ashlyn smirked, “Actually, I think you do know her.”

Whitney raised an eyebrow.

“Her name is Ali Krieger. She’s on the national team with you.”

Whitney’s eyes went wide in shock, “Ali?! Ali who is on defense with me? That Ali?”

Ashlyn nodded. “Yup” she said with a pop of her lips.

“I can’t believe it. I didn’t even know she liked girls.”

Ashlyn laughed, “Then she will definitely be surprised to see that you’re my friend.”

Whitney rolled her eyes and left Ashlyn’s office with Eli on her hip.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Ali, you look fine. Let’s go!” Kyle said as he stood by the hotel room door.

“I’m coming. I’m coming. Does my hair look ok?”

Kyle rolled his eyes, “Seeing as I was the one that helped you straighten it this morning then I would say yes. Now let’s go.”

Once they were in the car on the way to the stadium, Kyle noticed that Ali looked a little nervous. “You’re date is going to go great, Alibean. She seemed really into you. No reason to be nervous.”

Ali bit her lip, “That’s not really why I’m nervous.”

“Then what is it?” Kyle asked confused.

“I…I guess..”

“Spit it out, kid.” He encouraged.

“I…I didn’t really get to have much interaction with her son yesterday. His mom might like me but what if he doesn’t?”

Kyle laughed, “That’s your issue? That a three year old might not like you?”

“Don’t laugh. It’s not funny. What if he doesn’t?”

“You’re great with children, Ali. And that little boy is seriously the easiest kid to get along with.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re on the same intellectual level as a three year old.” Ali jabbed.

Kyle did a fake laugh at his sister’s teasing and the car fell to silence as they pulled into the stadium parking lot.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Look! Mr. Kyle!” Elijah shouted excitedly as he pointed several rows up from the seats that he and Whitney were currently settled in.

Whitney turned around and sure enough Kyle and Ali were taking their seats and she got up to go get them before they got too comfortable. Eli followed closely behind her until they were a little closer and then he took off past Whitney and went straight to Kyle.

“Mr. Kyle! Are we going to play again?” He asked as Kyle scooped him up.

“Well, I actually think we are going to watch the soccer game, but you can watch it with me.” Kyle said.

Eli sighed and Ali’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “Elijah, who’s watching after you?”

Before Eli could answer, Whitney made her way up the remaining steps. “That would be me.”

“Whitney?” Ali asked in surprise.

“The one and only. Ashlyn got you guys seats down towards the field with me and Eli. Come on.” Whitney said before turning around and walking back down the stadium stairs not waiting for a reply.

Ali and Kyle followed with Elijah still in Kyle’s arms.

They settled into the seats that Whitney pointed out as theirs and Kyle set Eli on the ground. “Aunt Whit, can I go play?” he asked pointing to two other kids, who were playing one aisle over, Whitney recognized them as belonging to one of the other coaches.

“Sure. Just stay where I can see you. And stay on this level, ok?” Whitney instructed and Elijah ran off.

Ali awkwardly turned to Whitney once Eli had gone off. “Sooo… you’re friends with Ashlyn?”

“Yep, and you’re Ashlyn’s date.” She said smirking at her teammate.

Ali’s smile faded slightly, “I know that the team doesn’t know I’m gay and I’m really sorry about that but-”

Whitney held her hand up, “Ali, I’m cool with it. And if you don’t want to tell the team about it then I promise your secret is safe with me.”

Ali sighed in relief, “Thanks.”

Whitney let the silence fall for a minute before she decided to add something that had been on her mind, “But, Ali?”

“Yeah?” Ali said turning back to Whit.

“Ashlyn’s pretty special. And she’s tough as nails, but she’s been through a lot in the past three years. Don’t break her heart.”

Ali nodded, “I understand. But it’s just a first date.”

“I know. Just letting you know that you caught a special one. She’ll do anything for her friends.”

“Good to know.” Ali said with a smile and turned her attention to the game at the blow of the starting whistle. But her mind wondered to what Whitney had meant by Ashlyn having gone through a lot. Ali wanted to know more about this Ashlyn Harris.

It was about thirty minutes into the game and Ali was trying to stay focused on the game without getting too distracted by watching Ashlyn yell on the side line. Ashlyn was wearing a light blue UNC polo shirt that clung to her broad shoulders, and Ali admired how Ashlyn’s muscles flexed under the tattoos on her arm.

Ali really was trying to focus on the game but she was distracted again when she heard a cry come from the steps right beside their seats and turned to see Elijah on the ground clutching his knee with a red face and tears streaming down his cheeks. Before Whitney could even begin to get up to go check on him, Ali was by his side.

Ashlyn looked up into the stands as she heard a cry that she immediately recognized as her son’s. She quickly found where he was and saw Ali rushing over to him and sitting on the filthy ground and bringing the crying boy into her arms. Ashlyn let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when she saw that he was being taken care of and turned her attention back to the field.

“Sssshhhh, it’s ok.” Ali soothed as she rocked the little boy in her arms and held him close. She scanned the knee he was holding to make sure there was no blood and that he wasn’t hurt.

He continued to sob but he had quieted down since Ali had picked him up in her arms.

“How did you hurt yourself?” Ali asked as she continued to rock him while sitting on the dirty stadium floor.

“I…I was chasing Toby and I fell off the step.” He choked out.

Ali sighed, “Well, you shouldn’t have been running down steps. Didn’t your Aunt Whit tell you to stay on this level?”

The boy nodded.

Ali began to wipe the tears running down his face and kissed the top of his head gently. “Where does it hurt?” she asked softly.

Elijah pointed to his left knee and Ali looked it over and pretended to examine it really closely, for the sake of the boy, even though she knew nothing was wrong.

“What can I do to make it better?” she asked.

“My mama and grammy kiss my hurts to make them better.”

“A kiss? Well, I can do that.” Ali said with a smile and leaned down to kiss the boy’s knee. She then stood carefully, with Elijah still in her arms and walked back over to her seat. She sat down and placed Eli in her lap and he snuggled himself into her as he wiped at the remaining tears in his eyes.

Whitney placed a hand on Eli’s shoulder to get his attention. “You ok, little man?”

Eli nodded.

“Can I get you something to make you feel better?” she asked.

Elijah thought for a moment. “A coke?” he said softly.

Whitney smiled, “Sure thing. Be right back, buddy.” And then she hopped out of her seat to go to the concession stand.

By half-time Elijah was still sitting in Ali’s lap but instead of snuggling and needing comfort, he was perched on the edge of her knees and was intently watching the game while sipping on his coke. UNC was up 1-nil, and as soon as the whistle blew signaling half time, Ashlyn came jogging to the wall of the stands right in front of her friends and son. “Everything ok?” She asked, scanning over Eli in the process.

“Yeah, he’s fine. I think it scared him more than it actually hurt him.” Ali responded.

Ashlyn nodded, “Good. Thanks for taking care of him. I’ll talk to you more after the game.” She said with a wink and ran off towards the locker room to be with her team.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Whitney had brought Ali, Kyle, and Eli down to the field after the game was over so they could wait for Ashlyn.

When Ashlyn appeared, she had a soccer ball in her hand. Elijah immediately went running to his mother and Ashlyn dropped the ball in order to catch Elijah in her arms. “Mama! Your team won!” he squealed out.

“They did!” Ashlyn agreed as she continued walking towards the other three adults. “But that means that Ms. Ali’s team lost.”

Eli turned to Ali. “Are you sad?” he asked with a sincere little face.

Ali giggled and stepped closer to the mother and son. “A little but your mama’s team is really good.”

Eli grinned big up at Ali, “They are! Mama is the best coach! She taught me how to play too!” he said excitedly.

Ali raised an eyebrow, “Really?! You’ll have to show me.” she said, matching the boy’s enthusiasm.

Eli nodded and wiggled out of his mother’s arms and ran to the soccer ball Ashlyn had dropped. “Come play!” He yelled over to the group of adults.

Kyle was the first one to run out on to the pitch with the little boy but Whitney soon followed.

Ashlyn smiled as she watched and noticed Ali come to stand beside her.

“I really do want to thank you for taking care of him when he fell earlier. It was comforting to look up and see someone being a little more…hmmm.. what’s the way to say it? Uhh motherly? Then Whit would have been. That’s not really Whit’s kind of thing.”

Ali laughed, nodding in agreement of Ashlyn’s assessment of their mutual friend. “I didn’t mind. I like kids. Crying and all.”

Ashlyn eyed Ali for a moment to see if she was serious. “Good to know.” Ashlyn replied seriously.

“Want to go play?” Ali asked nodding to the three on the field.

“Sure. Race ya!” Ashlyn called back to her as she took off towards the others on the field leaving Ali in her dust.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Thirty minutes later the group of five was heading to the parking lot with a very tired little boy resting his head on his mother’s shoulder.

“Alright, so I guess I’ll be heading back to the hotel to order room service and sit all by myself. Have fun on your date you two.” Kyle announced as he pulled the keys out of his pocket and started towards his car.

“Bye!” the three women called after him.

Ashlyn then turned to Whitney, “You need his carseat out of my jeep.” Ashlyn informed her friend as she tossed her keys to Whit so she could grab it.

Whitney grabbed the carseat and set it in her own car before backing out of the way so Ashlyn could put Eli in the car.

“I need you to be very good for Aunt Whit tonight, ok? Can you do that?” Ashlyn asked her son as she snapped his seatbelt into place.

Eli sleepily nodded.

“That’s my boy.” Ashlyn said as she placed a kiss to his forehead. “Goodnight, I love you.”

“I love you too, mama.”

Ashlyn shut the car door and turned to the other two women. “Alright, well good luck, Whit. Call me if you need me.”

“I will. You two have fun! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Whitney said as she hopped into her car.

The women laughed and Ashlyn moved her hand to the small of Ali’s back and guided her to towards her jeep. Ashlyn opened the passenger door for Ali, and Ali laughed when she noticed a stuffed animal dog sitting on the seat.

Ashlyn blushed and quickly reached around Ali to grab the stuffed animal and throw it in the back seat.

“Sorry.” Ashlyn mumbled.

“It’s fine.” Ali giggled and jumped into the jeep.

Ashlyn ran around to the driver’s side of the car and got in.

“So, where are we going? Ali asked once Ashlyn had cranked the vehicle.

“It’s a surprise.” Ashlyn winked and put the jeep in drive.


	3. Chapter 3

Ali really was surprised by the place Ashlyn picked for their date when she realized they were pulling up to the same park they had met at the previous day.

Before Ali could question it Ashlyn was jumping out of the vehicle and running around to open Ali’s door.

“The park?” Ali questioned as she stepped out of the jeep.

Ashlyn shrugged, “I didn’t really feel like we got to finish our conversation yesterday because I needed to get Elijah home. Soooo I thought we could continue it over a picnic.”

Ashlyn then went to the trunk of her car and removed a cooler and a blanket. She nodded her head for Ali to follow and they eventually settled into some grass near a street lamp so they wouldn’t be in the dark. Ashlyn laid out the blanket and started to remove some items from the cooler. She had chicken salad, croissants, cheese slices, two chocolate cupcakes, and a bottle of white wine.

“Wow, I’m impressed.” Ali said with a giggle as she sat down on the blanket and helped Ashlyn remove two plates and plastic cups.

Ashlyn smirked at her, “Well, I try.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

The conversation ran smoothly between them as they ate. They talked about soccer, where they had grown up, college days, and favorite vacations. It wasn’t until they had finished their cupcakes and Ashlyn packed the food containers back into the cooler that there was a lull in the conversation. Ashlyn moved the cooler off to the side and laid down on her back to look up at the sky.

Ali in turn laid on her side to face Ashlyn. “So, you really can’t tell me which NWSL team you’re in talks with?” Ali asked, starting up the conversation again.

Ashlyn chuckled, “Well, I’m not supposed to. Especially since you are a player and you haven’t given your allocation choices yet, but…” Ashlyn paused and her smile went playful as she whispered, “The team might or might not be in our nation’s capital.”

Ali smiled excitedly, “That would be a perfect fit for you. The school system around there is incredible. It would offer a lot for Elijah.”

Ashlyn returned Ali’s smile, “I thought so too.”

There was another pause in the conversation before Ali decided to ask one more thing that had been on her mind. “Can I ask a personal question?”

Ashlyn raised an eyebrow, “Sure?” she responded in a question herself.

“I mean it is really personal, and if you don’t want to answer then you don’t have to. I’m just curious.” Ali explained.

Ashlyn was now curious as to what question had Ali all nervous to ask so she nodded in agreement, “Ok…shoot.”

“Is Elijah’s dad in the picture?”

Ashlyn’s eyes got a little wider for a second before she settled back into the blanket and sighed. She clearly had a thinking face on.

Ali took her date’s silence as a bad thing and immediately began to retract her question, “Never mind. That’s too personal. I shouldn’t have asked.”

Ashlyn noticed Ali begin to sit up on the blanket and she immediately reached out her hand to stop her. Ali stopped but she didn’t make eye contact with Ashlyn.

Ashlyn ran her hand down Ali’s arm until she was able to link their fingers together. This got Ali’s attention and she turned back to her date.

“Not too personal. Just a complicated answer.” Ashlyn responded.

“Complicated?” Ali encouraged her to continue.

“Well, I guess I should start from the beginning. I was 24, still playing in the WPS, when my bestfriend, Becky, called me. We had played soccer together here at UNC and we were college roommates. She didn’t have any family. Both of her parents had died when she was younger. She had a boyfriend who had run off on her.” Ashlyn took a deep breath. “After her call, I came back here to visit her. She told me she had cancer. She died a month later leaving behide her six month old son.”

Ali quickly realized, “Elijah.” Was all she said and Ashlyn nodded.

“I quit soccer in order to take care of Becky and Elijah. The Coach at UNC knew the situation and offered me a job. Becky’s body finally stopped fighting the disease, and I was left with a baby that I barely knew how to take care of.”

“That must have been hard.” Ali said as she stroked her thumb across the back of Ashlyn’s hand.

Ashlyn shrugged, “My mom came and helped me out the first few weeks. Helped me get into a system, find a daycare, and all that kind of stuff. But I think the biggest change was in how I live my life. I’m not anywhere near the same person I was at 24. I partied too much, smoked things I shouldn’t have smoked, slept with girls I don’t remember, and made some questionable choices in tattoos. I was a mess and having Elijah given to me made me grow up.”

Ali smiled, “Well, if it’s any consolation, I really like this version of you.”

Ashlyn looked over to Ali and noticed that their lips were only a few inches apart. “Yeah, me too.” She responded before leaning in and allowing Ali to finish connecting their lips.

The kiss was sweet and not too long. Ali suddenly realized what Whitney had meant when she said that Ashlyn would do anything for a friend. Ashlyn would give up a career she loved to raise a baby that wasn’t her own. Whitney was right, Ashlyn is pretty special.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

It was a little past one in the morning when they stepped off the hotel elevator on Ali’s floor laughing at a story Ashlyn was telling about Elijah.

“I swear! He will still do it to this day. Ask him which finger he sliced open when he was two, and that boy will hold up just his middle finger at you.”

Ali laughed, “That’s horrible, Ash! You should teach him not to do that!”

“Why? It’s funny.” Ashlyn said with a chuckle as Ali came to a stop in front of a door and started digging through her purse for her key card.

Ali finally found her card and pulled it out. She looked up to see Ashlyn only an inch away from her, staring down at her with a smile.

“Soooo this is the part where I would usually ask when the next time I could see you again would be but you leave tomorrow.” Ashlyn said with a sad smile.

Ali smiled, “Ask me anyway.”

“What?”

“Ask me anyway. Ask when we can meet again.”

“Ok.” Ashlyn said hesitantly. “When can I see you again, Alexandra Krieger?”

“Tomorrow morning… Actually, it’s already morning. So later this morning. 9 O’clock at the I-Hop down the street. It’s Kyle’s favorite and we were planning on going there for breakfast anyway before we leave town. Bring Elijah and Whit.”

“It’s a date.” Ashlyn responded before leaning down to place a kiss on Ali’s lips.

Much to Ashlyn’s surprise, instead of letting Ashlyn pull away Ali wrapped her arms around the coach’s neck and pulled her in closer till their bodies where flush together.

Ali swiped her tongue against Ashlyn’s lips and Ashlyn opened her mouth only to fight Ali for dominance over the kiss. Ashlyn grabbed Ali’s butt and pulled her up on her body so she didn’t have to bend her neck to reach her. They gravitated closer to the wall and Ashlyn had Ali pushed up against it when she finally pulled away.

Ashlyn was trying to regain her breath when she whispered in Ali’s ear, “We shouldn’t start something that we can’t finish tonight.”

Ali nodded and let her head fall to Ashlyn’s shoulder.

“I had a great time.” Ali finally said as she pulled completely away and prepared to enter her hotel room.

“Me too.” Ashlyn smiled.

“I’ll see you at 9.”

“Sounds good. Sweet dreams.” Ashlyn responded before turning to walk down the hall towards the elevator.

Ali smiled and entered her room. Her dreams would definitely be sweet.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Ashlyn hopped up the steps to Whitney’s apartment with an extra boost in her step. She had only gotten about six hours of sleep but she honestly was too excited to feel tired.

 

She knocked on the door and could immediately hear little feet padding towards the door. Then she heard her bestfriend yell, “Elijah Harris! Do not open that door! Let me see who it is.”

Ashlyn laughed as Whitney opened the door. “Hey!” Ashlyn said with a big smile on her face.

“Someone’s date went well.” Whitney greeted seeing her friend’s smiling face.

“MAMA!” Eli cheered as he came barreling into Ashlyn’s legs.

“Hey, buddy!” Ashlyn said as she pulled him up into her arms.

“I missed you.” The boy said softly into his mother’s ear as he wrapped his little arms around her neck.

“I missed you too, baby. Does mama get a kiss?” Ashlyn asked.

Eli smiled and pulled back to place a kiss on his mother’s cheek.

“Perfect, thank you. Now go get your stuff together so we can go have breakfast with Ms. Ali and Mr. Kyle.” Ashlyn instructed as she sat him down on the ground.

“Mr. Kyle?!” Elijah asked excitedly.

“Yes, but hurry. We have to go meet them.”

Eli ran off to get his things and Whitney and Ashlyn both laughed.

“Sure you don’t want to come?” Ashlyn asked.

“I’m sure. I already have a date with the gym.” Whitney responded.

“More like you got a date at the gym. You two have been working out together every morning for two weeks. When is the dude gonna grow a pair and ask you out?”

“Hey! For your information, we had coffee Wednesday after our workout.” Whitney defended poking her friend in the chest.

Ashlyn rolled her eyes, “Whatever.”

“So how did your date with my teammate go?”

“I would say it went pretty well since she invited me to breakfast this morning.”

“Yes, but details. Like are you going to try to find a way to see her again in the future?”

Ashlyn shrugged, “I don’t really know. I really like her, but we don’t really live close to eachother. I’m probably about to move to D.C. and there is no telling where she’ll get allocated. We’ll atleast keep in contact.”

Whitney nodded, “Well, I hope things work out well for you. Ali is a sweet girl.”

“And a great kisser.” Ashlyn said with a wink as Elijah came running over with all his stuff and Whitney only gave her a disgusted look.

“Do you have all your stuff, buddy?” Ashlyn asked.

Eli nodded.

“Great. Now tell Aunt Whit thank you for keeping you last night.”

“Thank you, Aunt Whit! I had fun.”

“Glad you did, little man. I’ll see you later.” Whitney responded and held her hand out for a high-five from the three year old.

“Thanks again, Whit. I appreciate it.” Ashlyn said as her and Eli started down the steps.

“No problem!” Whitney called after them.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali and Kyle reached the restaurant before the mother and son did. They grabbed a booth, and Kyle noticed that Ali purposefully sat opposite of him in the booth.

Kyle gave her a knowing smile, “Don’t you want to sit by your brother?”

“Not this morning.” Ali said with a roll of her eyes.

“Gotta hold hands with your hot date under the table?” he teased.

“Shut up.”

“You haven’t even told me. How did the date go?”

“It was great.” Ali responded while flipping open a menu and ignoring her brother.

“That’s all I get? You have to be kidding me. I was stuck all by myself last night AFTER getting you a shot at the woman when I took Eli off to play at the park the other day, and now I don’t even get a single detail about the date.”

Ali looked up, “Ok. The date was nice. We had a picnic. We talked. We kissed. We made plans to meet for breakfast. What else do you want to know?”

“You kissed? Tell me about that!”

Before Ali could say anything she saw Ashlyn and Eli come through the door. She caught eyes with Ashlyn and waved them over.

“Behave.” Ali said sternly to Kyle before they reached the table.

Kyle smirked, “Always do.”

Ali rolled her eyes and turned to Ashlyn and Eli who had just walked up. Eli didn’t hesitate to hop in the booth beside Kyle and Ashlyn rolled her eyes at the two before sliding in next to Ali.

“Good Morning.” Ashlyn said as she leaned in to place a peck to Ali’s cheek.

Ali blushed at the fact Ashlyn would show affection to her infront of Elijah. It seemed like an intimate thing to do.

“Good morning to you too.”

Ashlyn then shared a smile with Kyle. “Is it ok if he sits beside you? If he is bugging you then just let me know.” Ashlyn insisted.

Kyle waved her off, “Nonsense. Eli is my best bud. Right, dude?” he looked down to Eli and held out his fist.

Eli bumped it with his own fist and said, “Right!”

Ashlyn and Ali both laughed before the waitress came to take their drink orders.

“What can I get y’all to drink this morning?” She asked politely.

Eli was quick to answer, “Chocolate milk!”

Ashlyn gave him one of those looks and Eli immediately seemed to shrink in his seat, “And who said you could have chocolate milk? We drink plain milk at home.”

Eli ducked his head knowing what he had done wrong. He knows to ask for permission first. “Can I please have chocolate milk?” he said asking for permission this time.

Ashlyn nodded, “And what do you tell the lady?”

“I will have chocolate milk, please.” Eli added as he looked up at the waitress.

The lady smiled back, “Sure thing, sweetheart. And what about you, handsome?” she asked looking at Kyle.

Both Ali and Ashlyn laughed at this and Kyle glared at them before ordering a coffee. Ashlyn and Ali both gave their orders and the waitress left them to decide their entrees.

“So, what do you think you’re going to order?” Ali asked Eli as she leaned over the table towards him.

The boy had a great look of concentration on his face as he scanned the children’s menu, not being able to read but looking carefully at the pictures. He finally looked up, “Chocolate-chip pancakes with lots of syrup.”

Ali smiled and Ashlyn cut her eyes at her son. “How about a regular pancake with a little bit of syrup and a fruit cup?” Ashlyn suggested.

Eli’s smile dropped knowing that it wasn’t really a question but that his mom would not be ordering him chocolate chip pancakes.

“Awww, you can’t let him have chocolate chip pancakes this one time?” Ali said with a pout and puppy dog eyes up at Ashlyn.

“What? You’re on his side?” Ashlyn asked with raised eyebrows.

Ali smiled and snuggled into Ashlyn’s side. “Come on. It’s just this one time.” She batted her eyelashes up at Ash.

“Yes, but you don’t have to put up with him for the rest of the day.”

Ali smiled before leaning up to whisper in Ashlyn’s ear, “Please, I’m trying to get on your son’s good side.”

Ashlyn scoffed and whispered back, “He’s three. You’re already on his good side.”

Ali pouted her lips again and intertwined her hand with Ashlyn’s under the table. “Pleassssee?”

Ashlyn sighed, “Fine.”

“Yes!” Ali and Eli both yelled in unison and gave eachother a high-five.

Ashlyn shook her head and looked over to Kyle, “What am I going to do?” she asked in a defeated tone.

Kyle laughed, “Honey, there ain’t nothing you can do once you’ve caved to the Ali Krieger pout.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn and Eli walked with Kyle and Ali to their car in order to see the siblings off. Kyle quickly gave his goodbyes and got in the car to give Ali her privacy for her own goodbyes.

“So…” Ashlyn said as she stuck one hand in her pocket and held onto Elijah’s hand with the other.

“Yeah.” Ali said in return, neither one of them knowing how to go about this.

“Well, I’ve had a really great time getting to know you.” Ashlyn finally said.

Ali smiled, “Me too. And you have my phone number. Keep in touch.”

“I will.”

“Promise?” Ali asked, hoping for a sincere answer.

Ashlyn looked straight into her eyes as she responded, “I promise. I’m a former goal keeper, I don’t just let things get past me. Especially beautiful women.” She said the last part with a playful tone and ended it with a wink.

Ali smiled and bent down to Eli’s level and held her hand out for him to shake. “It was nice meeting you, Elijah Harris. I hope I get to see you again soon.”

Ali was slightly confused when instead of taking her hand, Eli slipped his other hand out of his mother’s grasp and threw both of his arms around Ali. Ali immediately wrapped her arms around the boy also and gave him a big squeeze. “I like you, Ms. Ali.” was all Eli said before pulling away and grabbing his mother’s hand again.

Ali and Ashlyn marveled at his words, both women knowing that the boy had no reason to say it other than he meant it. Ashlyn smiled, “Told you he would like you.”

Ali laughed, “I’m still not convinced that he didn’t just say that because I got him chocolate chip pancakes.”

Ashlyn laughed, “Time will tell.” She responded, and the weight of the words was strong for both women. They weren’t entirely sure what this thing was between them but they knew they would figure it out in time.

“I should get going.” Ali said, trying to avoid getting in the car just a little longer.

“Yeah, you should.” Ashlyn then leaned in and placed a soft kiss to Ali’s cheek, holding there a little longer than would be considered normal. “It was nice meeting you, Alexandra Krieger.” Ashlyn said as she opened the car door for Ali and watched her get in.

“It was nice meeting both of you.” Ali said sincerely.

Ashlyn smiled then closed the door for Ali and stepped up onto the sidewalk with Eli so Kyle could pull the car out. Ashlyn watched them go before bending down to pick up Eli and tossing him over her right shoulder. She listened to him laugh and complain the whole way to the jeep, and she swore that in that moment nothing could wipe the smile off her face.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali got home late that night and immediately went up to her room and grabbed her laptop. She logged on to her email and pulled up the email that had been sent about requesting teams for allocations. She had been avoiding making her picks before because she wasn’t positive where she wanted to end up. But now she knew that she was certain of one thing, she wanted to get to know Ashlyn and Elijah Harris a lot better. Maybe she was being too forward but she took a chance.

She began to type.

Choice #1 – Washington Spirit

Choice #2 – Boston Breakers

Choice #3 – Sky Blue

Send.


	5. Chapter 5

Ali patiently waited for her phone to ring. She and Ashlyn had been texting and calling eachother almost every day for the past two weeks. Ali was finding hard to believe that this woman, that she had only been with in person for three days, was quickly becoming someone she physically ached to talk to everyday. They shared things about their day, they laughed, they complained, they talked about what they each had for lunch. Snapchats from Ashlyn where dominated by pictures of Elijah and Ali loved receiving each and every one of them.

Ashlyn had promised over text that morning that they would facetime as soon as she got Elijah to sleep for the night. She had mentioned that she needed to tell Ali something, and that had left the dark haired defender in a nervous excitement for the rest of the day.

Ali heard her phone go off and immediately jumped to pick it up from the coffee table and answered it by the second ring.

“Hey!” Ali said excitedly when she saw Ashlyn’s face on her screen.

“Hey, beautiful. How was your day?”

Ali blushed at the endearment but answered quickly, “It was good. Went to the gym. Did some cleaning. Made plans to have lunch with my mom tomorrow. Overall, I’m just really ready to get allocated to a team so I can start training with people again.”

Ashlyn laughed, “Well that will come around soon and then you’ll be complaining about practices and how sore and tired you are.”

“Probably.” Ali conceded. “So how was your day?”

“It was fine.” Ashlyn responded.

Ali raised an eyebrow, “Fine? That’s it?”

Ashlyn sighed, “It actually started out really good but it went downhill when I picked up Elijah from daycare.”

“Want to tell me about it?”

Ashlyn took a deep breath, “I got a call yesterday from the Spirit and they are definitely offering me the job.”

“Really!!?!” Ali squealed in excitement.

Ashlyn slightly chuckled, “Yeah.”

“That’s great, Ash! But what does that have to do with Eli?”

“Well, I made an appointment to go up next week to sign contracts and everything, so I knew that I needed to talk to Elijah about it.”

“And?” Ali pushed.

“He started crying.” Ashlyn said with exasperation. “He kept saying he didn’t want to move. That he liked this home and what if the new home didn’t have a park nearby and all that stuff. My three year old was yelling at me, Alex. He was so upset!”

Ali could hear Ashlyn getting choked up.

“Ashlyn, are you ok?”

Ashlyn took a deep breath, “Yeah, yeah I’m good. Anyway…I got him calmed down last night and answered all his questions and I thought everything was fine. He was fine when I dropped him off at daycare this morning, but when I went to pick him up his teacher was telling me that he had gotten into a lot of trouble today. Once we were in the car I asked him about it and he started crying all over again about the moving stuff. He doesn’t want to leave and I’m starting to feel like I’m making a bad choice.”

Ali took in what all Ashlyn had said. “Ashlyn, you can’t beat yourself up about this. This job is a great opportunity and Elijah is going to love it in D.C. once he gets used to it. You can’t feel bad about this.”

Ashlyn sighed, “I know all that, Ali, but I can’t help but think that he might have some emotional connection to this place. I know he doesn’t remember his mom but this apartment is where they lived. It was the first home that Becky brought him into. His mother is buried here in town, and I’m trying to take him away from it all.”

Ali gave Ashlyn a sad smiled, “Ashlyn, sweetie, Elijah will be fine. He’s just too young to understand right now. Bring him to D.C. with you next week and show him how fun it will be. He’ll come around…You can’t pass this opportunity up.”

“How can I bring him with me? I’ll be in meetings almost all of Monday.”

Ali didn’t hesitate in her answer, “I’ll keep him! I only live in Alexandria. That’s like thirty minutes from the city. I’ll take him around and show him some of the big monuments. Maybe even take him to the Natural History Museum and show him the dinosaurs!”

“You mean it?” Ashlyn asked. “Cause I don’t want you to think that you’re stuck watching him.”

“Of course! It will be fun!” Ali said enthusiastically.

Ashlyn smiled, “Ok, sounds like a plan. Thank you for talking this out with me.”

Ali smiled back, “No problem, that’s what friends are for.”

“Are they also for kissing? Because if I can’t kiss you the next time I see you then I might just bust.”

Ali laughed, “We’ll see.”

Ashlyn groaned, “Fine. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, ok?”

“Sounds great!” Ali said blowing a kiss at the camera before hanging up.

Ali set the phone down and immediately started to panic. Did she really just volunteer to keep Elijah for a whole day?

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Hey, Mom!” Ali smiled brightly as she came up to the table her mom was sitting at.

“Hey, sweetie. You having a good day?”

“Yeah, I am. You?”

“Good. Just been missing you. Here I was thinking that I might see you more often now that you have moved back home, but I haven’t even seen you since you got home from your trip with Kyle.”

Ali sheepishly bit her lip, “Yeah, I’m sorry about that.”

“Not a problem. So what’s going on with you?” Debby asked her youngest child.

“Well, I actually need your advice.”

Deb raised her eyebrows, “Advice? Ok, ask.”

Ali took a deep breath, “Well, I have a friend that I offered to do a favor for when they come into town next week, but it is actually a really big favor. And I honestly think my relationship with this person might be completely dependent on how well I manage this favor. So I’m kinda super nervous right now and I’m wondering whether or not I should back out with an excuse and preserve what I have with this person or if I should just do the favor and see what happens.”

Deb stared wide eyed at her daughter for a moment trying to take in all of Ali’s rambling. “Is this about the girl Kyle was telling me about?” she finally asked.

Ali gasped, “He told you about that?!”

“Well, he didn’t tell me much. Just that she was a coach at UNC, that she had a son, and took you on a date while you guys were in Chapel Hill.”

“He shouldn’t have told you anything! That’s not his business to tell.” Ali protested as she crossed her arms.

“If he didn’t then I wouldn’t know! So am I right? Is it about that coach?”

Ali sighed as she gave in, “Yes.” She mumbled.

Deb smiled, “So tell me a little about her.”

“What do you want to know?” Ali asked, avoiding having to tell her mom anything that she doesn’t have to.

“Tell me about her! Like her name. What does she look like? What about her son? Tell me what you know.”

“Ok, her name is Ashlyn Harris. She has long blonde hair that she usually wears up. She’s a little bit taller than me. She graduated from UNC and played professionally in New York for a few years. She then returned to UNC and started coaching.”

“And her son?” Deb prompted and watched Ali’s eyes light up at the mention of the boy.

“Elijah! He’s absolutely adorable, mom. He is three and a half and is absolutely all boy. He is constantly running and playing. And he’s got these beautiful blue eyes.”

Debby smiled, “Does he get those from his mom?”

Ali’s smile slightly faltered, “Actually, about the only thing he gets from his mom is his personality and love for fun….He’s not biologically Ashlyn’s. Her bestfriend died of colon cancer when Eli was a baby, and Ashlyn adopted him.”

“Oh gosh, that’s horrible.” Deb commented sadly.

Ali smiled half-heartedly, “Yeah, it is. But Ashlyn is so great, mom. I mean, I never once questioned whether or not Elijah was her son until she told me. As far as Ashlyn is concerned he is hers and she is he’s. It’s amazing the kind of love she has for that little boy.” Ali gushed.

“Sounds like you’re pretty smitten.” Deb said with a sincere smile.

“I think I am.” Ali admitted truthfully. “Which brings me to my problem about next week.”

“Yes, about that. Explain it in real terms this time.”

“Ashlyn is signing on as the goal keeper coach for the new NWSL team in D.C. She is coming in on Sunday and she has meetings all day on Monday. I, without thinking, offered to keep Elijah on Monday.”

“So what’s the problem?” Debby asked her daughter in confusion.

“It’s a whole day with her son! Nothing can go wrong or I’ll ruin my chances with Ashlyn. He is the most important thing in the world to her and if he doesn’t like me then I don’t stand a chance.”

“Did he seem to like you when you first met him?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“Eh, no buts. It will be fine, sweetheart. Plan some activities to keep him occupied and the day will go by a lot faster than you think. And..” Debby paused as she reached across the table to grab her daughter’s hand. “And if you and Ashlyn are meant to be something more than friends then you and Elijah will form a special kind of connection too.”

Ali smiled and squeezed her mother’s hand. She suddenly felt a lot better about Ashlyn and Eli’s visit.


	6. Chapter 6

Ali was far more confident about Ashlyn and Elijah’s visit by the time Sunday rolled around. Ali had insisted that she would pick them up from the airport and take them to their hotel.

 

Ali was standing near the exit gates when she saw Ashlyn and Elijah come through the gate and a smile immediately spread across her face. Ashlyn was holding two carry-on bags in her left hand and had Elijah’s hand tucked safely in her right. Ali giggled as she saw Eli stumble to keep up with his mom. He was rubbing at his eyes and all of his light brown hair stood up on the top of his head.

“Hey.” Ashlyn breathed out as she came face to face with Ali.

“Hey yourself.” Ali responded, her breathing a little heavier than it was before.

Ashlyn started to move in closer but Ali ignored her and bent down to Elijah. “Hey, buddy.”

“Hey, Ms. Ali.” Eli responded before holding a little hand over his mouth as he let out a big yawn.

“Awww, someone looks a bit sleepy.”

Eli nodded, “I was aseep on da plane.”

“Do you want me to carry you?” Ali asked.

Eli nodded again and Ali took him up into her arms.

“You don’t have to do that.” Ashlyn said softly as she watched the moment between the soccer player and her son.

Ali smiled at Ashlyn as Elijah buried his head into the crook of her neck. “I want to.” She simply responded before turning around and heading for the exit to get to her car.

Ashlyn smiled and hurried after them.

Ashlyn was surprised when they reached Ali’s car and started putting the bags in the trunk to see that Ali was buckling Eli into a carseat.

“You have a carseat?” Ashlyn asked with a smirk.

Ali shrugged off Ashlyn’s smirk, “My aunt had an old one from when my cousin was little and I asked her if I could borrow it for a few days. Not a big deal.”

~~

The drive to Ashlyn’s hotel was relatively quiet. Eli was fast asleep again once they had parked the car. Ashlyn grabbed their bags and Ali carefully removed the sleeping boy from the car.

Once they reached the hotel room, Ashlyn quickly dropped the bags and moved into the bedroom to pull down the sheets on the bed so that Ali could place Eli on the mattress. Ali put him down then moved a pillow to either side of the boy’s sleeping form to keep him from rolling off, and Ashlyn pulled the covers over him and placed a kiss to his hair before leading Ali out of the room.

Ali quietly closed the door behind them and Ashlyn barely let Ali turn to face her before wrapping her in her arms. “Is it crazy to say that I’ve missed you?” Ashlyn whispered into her ear as she continued to hold her close.

“No, because I’ve missed you too.” Ali said as she placed a kiss to Ashlyn’s neck.

Ashlyn pulled them over to the couch and sat down bringing Ali into her lap. “I think I need to take you on another date.”

“I would like that.” Ali whispered.

Ashlyn wrapped her arms lightly around Ali’s waist, “Then would you mind if Elijah and I took you out tomorrow night after my meetings?”

Ali giggled, “I thought it was a given that we would be having dinner tomorrow. However, I didn’t think it would be considered a date.”

“Well I’m desperate to get in as many dates as I can.”

“And why is that?” Ali asked with a knowing smile.

“Because I want to say that I’m dating you, not that I’ve gone on A date with you.”

Ali laughed, “Then are we counting our breakfast with Kyle and Elijah as a date too?”

Ashlyn shrugged, “Why not?”

Ali laughed again and slapped Ashlyn on the arm, “You’re such a romantic, Ashlyn Harris.”

Ashlyn chuckled and rolled eyes, “I’m sorry. It just feels like we are past what would technically be a second date.”

“I know how you feel.” Ali sighed as she rested her forehead on Ashlyn’s. “I should be getting home.”

“Do you have to?” the blonde mumbled.

Ali nodded her head that was still resting on Ashlyn’s. “Yes. But I’ll be here at 8:15 in the morning to pick up Elijah so you can get to your meeting by 9.”

Ashlyn sighed, “Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Ali nodded in agreement and pulled back to place a kiss to the top of Ashlyn’s head. “Goodnight. I’ll see you guys in the morning.” She said as she stood up and started walking towards the door.

Ashlyn was too tired to try and stand up from the couch. She simply called back her goodnight and watched Ali leave the hotel room. All either woman could think about was that tomorrow was going to be a long day.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“I don’t want to go!” Ali heard a little voice yell from behind the hotel door as she prepared herself to knock. Ali debated for a moment whether or not to go ahead and knock, but it was already 8:10 and she knew that Ashlyn would need to leave for her meeting soon so she knocked anyway.

It took a moment before Ashlyn opened the door, and when she did, she had Eli thrown over her shoulder and he was crying and kicking his feet into Ashlyn’s stomach. “Hey, sorry about this. Come in.”

“No need to apologize. Can I help with something?” Ali said loud enough to be heard over Elijah.

Ashlyn shook her head, “No. Just hold on one minute.”

Ashlyn took Eli off into the corner of the room, but Ali could still hear the conversation between the mother and son. Ashlyn set Eli on the ground and bent down to talk to him face to face. She was wiping away each tear that streamed down his face.

“I need you to stop crying, buddy. I have to go to my meeting now.” Ashlyn tried.

“I don’t want you to go!” Eli cried out.

“I have to go, but Ms. Ali is going to keep you and you will have lots of fun.” Ashlyn encouraged.

“I don’t want her! I WANT YOU!” He yelled before pulling back his foot and slamming it into his mother’s shin.

Ashlyn winced at the kick and Ali’s stomach dropped at the boy’s confession.

Ashlyn quickly pulled the boy over her bent knee and gave him a single spanking to his butt before pulling him up to look at him in the eyes. “You do not yell at me like that and you do not kick. Do you understand me?” Ashlyn said in the sterness voice Ali had ever heard the coach use with her son.

The boy nodded and Ashlyn pulled him into a hug, refusing to leave with her son thinking that she was mad at him. “Now, I have got to go. I need you to be extra good for Ms. Ali. Can you do that?”

Eli nodded again but he still had tears streaming down his face.

Ashlyn placed a kiss to the top of his head, “Bye, I love you.” She said as she stood up. She looked down at her son, waiting for his usual reply of ‘I love you, too’ but it never came. Eli wouldn’t even look up at her. Ashlyn’s heart broke as she turned from her son and walked up to Ali. Ali could visibly see the pain in Ashlyn’s eyes.

“I’m really sorry about that. I hate leaving him with you when he is like this, but if I don’t leave now then I’ll be late.”

Ali waved an excusing hand at her, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll be fine.” She encouraged.

“You sure?” Ashlyn asked for good measure as she started to pat her pockets to make sure she had her wallet.

“I’m sure.” Ali said with a smile.

Ashlyn bent down and placed a kiss to Ali’s cheek, “Thank you.” She whispered before heading out the door.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali took a deep breath and tried to get her thoughts together before approaching the little boy. She eventually made her way over the corner of the room Ashlyn had left him in. He was sitting down with his face buried in his knees and Ali could see his shoulders heave up and down as he continued to cry.

“Hey, little man.” Ali greeted as she sat beside him. She tried to put a hand on his back but he quickly shrugged her off.

Ali sighed, “It’s a shame you don’t want to go anywhere because I was planning on taking you to see some dinosaurs.”

Ali watched Eli peek just one eye above his knee to see if Ali was being serious. “Dinosaurs?” he asked quietly.

Ali nodded, “That was the plan. But then you decided that you didn’t want to go and you were ugly to your mama.”

Eli’s head dipped back down and Ali barely heard what he said next, “I didn’t say I love you.”

This time Eli didn’t pull away when Ali pulled him close and wrapped her arm around him, instead he buried his head in Ali’s side and picked up his crying. “You didn’t. And that hurt your mama’s feelings.”

“I didn’t mean to!” the boy sobbed out.

“Sshhhh, it’s ok.” Ali soothed as she rubbed her hand in a circle across the boy’s back. “Do you want to call her?”

Elijah looked up at her and wiped a few tears from his face before nodding.

Ali pulled her cellphone out and dialed Ashlyn’s number before handing Eli the phone.

Ashlyn had a mini panic in the backseat of the cab when she noticed Ali calling her. Had something already gone horribly wrong?

“Ali? Is something wrong?” Ashlyn said in greeting when she picked up the phone.

“Mama?” Ashlyn heard over the receiver.

“Elijah?”

“I love you, mama.” He said quietly.

Ashlyn smiled. “I love you too, baby.”

"I’m sorry." He said a little louder.

"I know, buddy."

There was silence for a second before Ashlyn heard Ali’s voice over the phone. “Hey, Ash.”

“Hey, thank you for that.” Ashlyn said as she tried to keep her voice strong and to not start crying in the backseat of the cab.

“No need to thank me. He felt really bad after you left and I figured we couldn’t have any fun until he had fixed it.”

Ashlyn smiled, “Thank you anyway. I’m about to reach the office so I got to go. I’ll see you guys later.”

“Ok. Enjoy your meetings.” Ali teased before hanging up.

Ali then turned to Elijah, “Ready to go have fun?”

“Yes!” Elijah replied excitedly.


	7. Chapter 7

By the time they reached the Washington Mall, Ali was amazed that the little boy currently holding her hand and skipping down the sidewalk was the same child that she saw throwing a tantrum earlier that morning. They had almost reached the Natural History Museum without any distractions other than pigeons until Eli saw the dip’n’dots stand.

“Can we get some!? Can we get some?!” He asked in excitement as he pulled on Ali’s hand and pointed to the stand.

Ali looked down at her watch to check the time. It was only 9:30. “How about we go through and see the dinosaurs and then get some on our way out?” Ali tried to reason.

“Ok!” Eli said accepting the answer, and Ali assumed he accepted the answer because he was probably used to his mother turning him down completely when it came to sweets. That’s one thing Ali aimed to fix about Ashlyn Harris. The woman obviously had something against sweets and Ali just didn’t understand it.

They went through the security to enter the museum, and Ali watched as Eli’s eyes went twice their size when he spotted the huge elephant in the middle of the room.

Ali smiled and grabbed Eli’s hand, “Ready to look around?” she asked.

Elijah nodded excitedly and Ali was happy to see how eager he was to explore the museum.

They eventually made their way to the dinosaurs and Ali knew that she had certainly made the right choice bringing him here when he started to ask her questions about every single skeleton they passed.

Ali was happy that he was curious, but she definitely struggled to answer some of his questions. Unfortunately, the little info cards in front of each dinosaur didn’t hold the answer to every question that the three and a half year old asked her.

They were near one of the bigger dinosaurs that had caught Eli’s attention when Ali got an idea.

“Hey, Elijah, go stand next to the dinosaur and look at me so I can take your picture.” Ali instructed.

Eli happily went over to the fence around the skeleton and smiled at Ali waiting to take his picture.

Ali snapped the picture and immediately clicked to send it to Ashlyn. Along with the picture she sent a quick message: ‘Having a great time at the museum. You have a very curious little boy. Lots of questions that I don’t know the answer too.’

Ashlyn replied fairly quickly, ‘hahaha. It’s called the art of bull-shitting, my dear. It is something I realized that you use quiet often when the kids are old enough to start asking questions. Glad you are having a good time.’

Ali texted back, ‘lol, I’ll keep that in mind. Having a blast but wish you were here :( ’

Ashlyn responded, ‘Wish I was too. Keep the pictures coming. It will help me get through these boring meetings. I also wouldn’t mind if one or two included your beautiful face. ;) ’

‘You’re making me blush and you aren’t even here. Go back to paying attention to your meetings.’ Ali instructed.

‘Yes, Ma’am’ Ashlyn texted back, effectively ending the short conversation.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali only questioned for a moment whether or not Ashlyn would care that Elijah’s lunch consisted of half a soft pretzel and a small bowl of chocolate dip’n’dots, until she realized that she didn’t really care. This was her day to bond with the little boy and she was planning on making the most of it.

“Sooo.” Ali started as she wiped the chocolate residue from Elijah’s mouth with a napkin. “I was thinking that we could go on the paddle boats over there on the river. Do you see them?” Ali asked as she pointed over to the blue paddle boats sitting on the Potomac River.

“Yes! We can go on those?” he asked enthusiastically as he looked up at Ali.

Ali smiled at his pure adorableness before assuring him that they could go and ride the boats. They made their way to the dock and Ali paid for the rental and secured Elijah’s life vest tightly before doing her own. She knew that paddle boats are typically meant for two people to paddle but she figured her soccer player legs could get her by. One of the workers helped her and Elijah on to the paddle boat and Ali took off from the dock.

Eli seemed to be enjoying every minute of it and Ali loved seeing the smile on his face. She was pointing out the Jefferson memorial to him from the water when she remembered that Ashlyn had asked for more pictures. She turned the boat till their backs were facing the memorial and pulled out her phone. She leaned into Eli and told him to smile for the picture.

Ali then sent the picture to Ashlyn.

Ashlyn smiled as she glanced at her phone during her meeting. It was a picture of Ali and Elijah on what looked like a boat. They were both wearing ugly orange life vests and the Jefferson Memorial was in the background of the photo.

She quickly typed out a response, ‘You two look cute. Can’t wait to see you both! I should be out of my meeting in about an hour. Where should I meet you two?’

Ali smiled at Ashlyn’s message and replied, ‘Heading to the Spy Museum after this. I’ve never been, but I hear it has some great interactive stuff for kids. There is a burger place nearby that we could go to for dinner.’

Ali didn’t bother to wait for a response before starting her paddle back towards the dock. She needed to hurry if she wanted them to get through the Spy Museum before Ashlyn was ready to meet them for dinner.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn was waiting patiently on a bench outside the Spy Museum when she saw Ali and Elijah exit, and much to Ashlyn’s amusement they were both wearing sunglasses and had fake CIA badges stuck to their shirts.

Ashlyn stood up and walked over to them, “Well, hello Detective Krieger and Detective Harris.” She greeted playfully.

“MAMA!” Eli said excitedly as he jumped into her arms.

“Hey, little man! Did you have fun with Ms. Ali?” Ashlyn asked.

Eli nodded excessively, “Yes! We saw dinosaurs and rode on a boat, and acted like spys, and feed pigeons, and ate dip’n’dots, and-”

“Woah there, buddy. Take a breath.” Ali said putting a stop to Elijah’s rambling before he informed his mother of any of the other sweets she allowed him to have.

Ashlyn laughed, “It did look like you were having a good time without me in all those pictures. I feel left out.” Ashlyn pouted at her son.

“Next time, Mama!”

“Does that mean you like it enough here for there to be a next time?” Ashlyn asked carefully.

The boy paused in thought longer than Ashlyn felt comfortable with until he finally spoke, “I like it here. Can we have more Ali and Eli days?” he asked innocently.

Ashlyn smiled widely at her son’s approval of two very important things, D.C. and Ali. And Ali thought her heart might explode from happiness that Eli wanted to spend more time with her, that he approved of her. Both women were happy that the day had seemed to be a success.

“Ali and Elijah days? What about Mama, Ali, and Elijah days?” Ashlyn teased.

Eli rolled his eyes, “We can have those, but special Ali and Eli days too.”

Ashlyn laughed, “Well, ok then.” She then turned to Ali, “Want to show us the way to dinner? I’m starving.”

Ali smiled and took Ashlyn’s free hand that wasn’t holding Elijah and started to lead them down the sidewalk. “I did have a lot of fun with him today.” Ali admitted.

Ashlyn smiled down at her, “I’m glad. He’s a good kid. This morning was actually very unusual of him.” She admitted.

Ali nodded in understanding, “I hope it’s alright, but I told him that he could call me just Ali and not Ms.Ali. It seemed too formal for him to be calling me that all the time.”

“No, it’s fine. As long as you’re cool with it.”

Ali stopped them infront of the burger place and opened the door so Ashlyn could walk through with Eli. They got seated at their table and Ali picked up the conversation again, “So how did your meeting go?”

“It went really well, actually. I’ll finish out the season at UNC then we’ll move up here sometime before Christmas. I’ll start work in January right before they do allocations.”

“That sounds great! It means that we will atleast have a few months close to each other until I get allocated somewhere.” Ali said encouragingly.

Ashlyn smiled sadly, “Yeah, I guess.”

Ali thought for a moment whether or not she should tell Ashlyn about her allocation choices until she finally caved. “Can I admit something to you?”

Ashlyn furrowed her eyebrows, “Sure?”

“I don’t really want to move and if I have to move then I don’t want to move far. So, my allocation choices were D.C., Boston, and New Jersey.”

Ashlyn smiled widely, “I’m actually really happy to hear that.”

Ali playfully smiled back, “And why is that?”

“Because I don’t need to be just dating you, Alexandra Krieger. I need you to be my girlfriend, and that will be much easier if we are closer together.”

Ali blushed, “Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, Ashlyn Harris?”

“I am.” Ashlyn admitted confidently.

Ali smiled as her blush grew deeper, she turned to Elijah, “What do you think, Eli? Should I say yes?”

Eli nodded excitedly, only slightly aware of what it meant for Ali to be his mom’s girlfriend.

“Well, then I guess it’s a yes.” Ali said as she leaned across the table to kiss Ashlyn’s lips.

They quickly pulled away when they heard an “ewwww, gross!” come from beside them and turned to see Elijah covering his eyes.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

The next morning Ali was dropping Ashlyn and Eli off at the airport.

“This was too short. I need you to stay longer.” Ali whined as she buried her head into Ashlyn’s shoulder.

Ashlyn sighed, “I know. But I have to get back for practice. Just think, three more weeks and the season is over, and then I can start to look for places to live up here.”

Ashlyn could feel Ali smile slightly at that, “Sounds good. Call me when you land so I know you landed safely.”

“I will.” Ashlyn promised.

Ali then bent down to pick-up Elijah. “I’m going to miss you.” Ali said sadly.

“I’m gonna miss you too.”

“Do you think I can get a kiss before you go?” Ali asked as she turned her cheek to the little boy.

Ali felt the light peck against her cheek and then turned to give him one in return. She set Eli on the ground and looked back up at Ashlyn. “You should be going.”

“Yeah.” Ashlyn admitted with a small smile. She pulled Ali into her until their bodies were flushed together. She then looked down at Eli, “Hey Elijah, close your eyes.” She said as she winked at him.

Ali and Ashlyn both laughed as the boy sighed and turned around to not face them. Ashlyn pressed a long lingering kiss to Ali’s lips and they both wanted the moment to just last a little longer. Ashlyn finally pulled away, “We’ve got to go.”

Ali nodded and pressed one more quick kiss to Ashlyn lips before unwrapping her arms from around the taller woman. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Ashlyn nodded and grabbed their bags and Eli’s hand before turning to walk off. The last thing Ali saw before turning around to go was Elijah turning to wave at her. She smiled and waved back before going to her car.


	8. Chapter 8

“Six weeks! You’ve known this girl for six weeks and I’m just now hearing about her?” Ashlyn’s mother chastised her daughter as she passed Ashlyn some plates to set the dinner table. Ashlyn was home for Thanksgiving, and Eli had let it slip a few minutes earlier that his Mama’s girlfriend was a soccer player. And that had set off a whole slew of questions that Ashlyn was still trying to answer.

“You make it sound like I hid some terrible secret from you. Ali and I met 6 weeks ago. We talked a lot and got to know each other. Three weeks ago, when I was in D.C. for my meetings, I asked her to be my girlfriend. Not a big deal.” Ashlyn defended.

“It’s a big deal for you. You haven’t had an official girlfriend since you adopted Elijah.” Ashlyn’s grandmother butted in.

“I’ve had relationships.”

“But not a girlfriend.” Her mom concluded.

“Fine, she’s the first ‘girlfriend’ I’ve had in a while. So what?”

“What does Elijah think of her?” her grandmother asked.

“The way he talks about her I would guess he is more smitten with her than Ashlyn is.” Chris answered as he came into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the fridge.

“And why do you say that?” Ashlyn asked her brother.

“Because every other sentence was Ali this and Ali that when we were out playing in the yard.”

Ashlyn smiled and let her dimple show. She was greatly amused that ever since their trip to D.C. every night when Ali and Ashlyn talk on the phone, Eli and Ali also have to talk. She loves that she can hear the smile in Ali’s voice after she finishes talking to Elijah. Their day of bonding had obviously done a lot for the pair.

“Yeah, I guess they have gotten pretty close.” Ashlyn conceded.

“Do you think that you two might be serious?” her grandmother asked.

Ashlyn shrugged, “I’m not entirely sure. I really like her and we have a lot in common. I think the progression of our relationship will really depend on where she gets allocated.”

“Is she hot?” Chris asked.

Ashlyn shot him a glare for asking that in front of their mother and grandmother, “I could actually think of several words to describe her. Like beautiful, stunning, or ravishing. Try increasing your vocabulary past the word ‘hot’ and you might find yourself a nice girl.” Ashlyn answered cockily.

“UGggH, you’re such a sap.” Chris said as he passed by her to go to the living room to watch tv with their dad.

“Oh, and Chris!” Ashlyn called out as she followed him to the door. She lowered her voice so the other women couldn’t hear. “She’s fucking gorgeous.” She admitted with a wink and let him go before turning back to help the women in the kitchen.

“Ashlyn, honey, I know that you are a grown woman, and you are perfectly capable of making the right decisions for you and Elijah. But have you really stopped to think about what getting serious with this girl would mean for Eli?” Ashlyn’s mom asked.

“What do you mean?” Ashlyn asked in confusion.

“I mean that if you break up with Ali then there won’t just be two broken hearts but three. You are taking a risk having her in Elijah’s life.”

Ashlyn threw her hands up, “Maybe I’m ready to take the risk! I’m tired of doing it all on my own, and if I’m not willing to take the risk and let someone into our lives then I have no chance of finding the right person!” Ashlyn said in a tone a little louder then what she should use with her mother. She was frustrated because this seemed to be the only point her friends had been making recently also.

“And do you think that she might be the right one?” Ashlyn’s mother said in a much calmer voice.

“I don’t know! She’s been my girlfriend for three weeks! All I know is that I owe it to myself to give it a shot… No matter what the outcome may be.” Ashlyn ended in an almost whisper of a voice.

Ashlyn’s mother sighed and walked over to give her daughter a hug, “You’re right. You should do what feels right for you. I hope Ali is a good fit for you and Eli. And I also hope that I get to meet her soon.”

Ashlyn smiled, “Good, I think you’ll be able to meet her when you and Chris come up to help me move.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

The following day was Thanksgiving and Ashlyn, Chris, Elijah, and their dad were sitting in the living room watching football after Thanksgiving Day lunch. Ashlyn was surprised to hear her phone ring and see that it was Ali calling.

She answered quickly, “Hey, babe. What’s up?”

“Save me. I just told Kyle that we are dating and he went off on me about not telling him sooner.”

Ashlyn laughed, “Sorry, nothing I can do. I faced the same problem yesterday when Elijah let it slip before I could tell them myself.”

“Speaking of Elijah, he was asleep when I called last night. Can I talk to him?” Ali asked.

“What? You don’t want to talk to me?”

“I always want to talk to you but right now I want to talk to Elijah.”

“Fine.” Ashlyn huffed before pulling the phone away and holding it out for Eli.

“Hey, Elijah! Guess who wants to talk to you?” Ashlyn called over to her son.

Eli immediately whipped around in his grandfather’s lap to face his mom. He had a huge smile on his face when he asked, “Ali?!”

Ashlyn nodded and Eli was scrambling off his grandfather’s lap to get the phone. Chris laughed as he grabbed the phone out of Ashlyn’s hand and went into the hallway to talk.

“He needs his privacy?” Chris joked.

Ashlyn laughed, “He’s always like that when she calls. I don’t even know what they talk about, but the other night they were on the phone for 15 minutes. I tried to listen in but Elijah was rambling on about something that didn’t make any sense and Ali was still just listening to him.”

Chris laughed with her, “Sounds like you found a special one.”

Ashlyn’s face got a little serious when she turned to her brother. “I think I did.” She said honestly and Chris nodded in understanding. 

Eli came skipping back into the room and handed his mom the phone. “Hey again.” Ashlyn said.

“Hey, so I might or might not have told him that I would ask you to give him another scoop of icecream.” Ali shyly admitted.

“What? We talked about this, Alexandra. You can’t give in to whatever he asks. You have to be tough.” Ashlyn reprimanded her girlfriend.

“I’m sorry but you should have heard his voice, Ash. He sounded so sad.”

Ashlyn rolled her eyes, “What am I going to do with you two once I get y’all in the same city when I can’t even handle you two when you’re hours apart?”

Ali smiled and teased back, “Face it, babe, you can’t withstand his baby blues and my Krieger pout. It’s a deadly combination.”

“Yeah, I’m learning that. Well, the ballgame is on and I now need to go get him another scoop of icecream thanks to you. So I’ll talk to you later, ok?”

“Actually, I was hoping I could tell you one more thing.” Ali said sheepishly.

“Oook. What is it?”

“Well, I noticed yesterday on the bulletin board in my apartment building that there is an open two bedroom apartment. I know you are still looking so I thought you might be interested. Then we would be really - … You know what? Nevermind. That’s probably a little to forward of me to suggest.”

Ashlyn chuckled, “No, it’s not. I mean, I don’t mind the suggestion but I was actually looking at something that would be closer to the office and practice facilities then what your apartment is.”

“Oh, yeah, ofcourse. I totally understand.” Ali said blushing in embarrassment and she was glad that Ashlyn couldn’t see her.

As if sensing that Ali was embarrassed, Ashlyn tried to comfort her, “I am really glad you told me though. I would have been insulted if you hadn’t thought about it to be honest. I’m always open to suggestions.”

“Good to know. I’ll try to see if my friends have heard about anything opening up in the area you are looking at.”

“Sounds great. I’ll talk to you later, baby. Tell your family I said Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Ok, tell your family the same for me. Bye.” Ali said before ending the phone call.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali walked into her family’s living room to find her mom and aunts sharing coffee. She assumed that meant the men had migrated to her dad’s ‘man cave’ to watch football. Ali came and took a seat by her mother and Debby turned to face her daughter.

“How was Ashlyn?” she asked imploring about her daughter’s girlfriend.

“She’s doing well. She didn’t want to talk for long because she was watching the game.”

“Well, did you get to talk to Elijah today? I know you were disappointed that he was asleep when you called last night.”

Ali smiled, “I did! He was as talkative as ever and I could only understand half of what he was saying. I need an interpreter.” Ali joked.

Debby laughed and Ali noticed her great aunt was eavesdropping on the conversation. Ali tried to ignore her but she couldn’t when the aunt finally asked a question. “Who’s Elijah?”

Ali didn’t know how to answer. Of course her mom, dad, and brother know she is gay but she hadn’t gotten around to telling any other family members yet. She knew that her dad’s side of the family was slightly judgmental towards Kyle and his choices and Ali feared to tell them her recent revelation that she was also gay. How does she answer? He’s my best friend’s son? He’s my girlfriend’s son? Ali’s head was spinning.

Before she could begin to really process how she wanted to answer, her mom answered for her. “He’s her girlfriend’s son.” Debby answered simply.

Ali’s jaw about dropped. She couldn’t believe her mom would do that without asking her. She quickly glanced to over to notice that the older lady’s face also showed about as much surprise as Ali’s did.

“Girlfriend?” her great aunt asked, directing the question entirely at Ali.

Ali nodded shyly.

“What’s her name?”

“Ashlyn. Ashlyn Harris. She is a soccer coach.” Ali said quietly.

The aunt nodded, “Well, bit of a surprise but I’m sure we will all love her….You said she had a son?”

Ali smiled. Did her great aunt just approve of this? She decided not to question it and just answer her questions. “Yes, Elijah. He’s three and a half.”

“And adorable!” Deb added. “Ali was showing me some pictures the other day and he has the prettiest blue eyes.”

The conversation eventually steered away from Ali and she was happy to see that the environment of the room had gone relatively unchanged.

So now her family knew. It was just her friends and teammates she had left to tell.

Note – I’m not really happy with this chapter but it will do for a filler. Hope to have the next one out soon.


	9. Chapter 9

Ashlyn rolled her eyes as she saw her brother carrying her girlfriend over his shoulder as he came into the bedroom of her new apartment. “Chris, I’m pretty sure I told you to bring in the boxes that belonged in my bedroom, not Ali.”

Chris laughed as he set Ali down on the ground, “Well atleast I brought something that belongs in your bedroom.” He teased before walking out of the room and laughing at the blush that spread across Ali’s face.

“Ignore him.” Ashlyn warned her for about the hundredth time since Chris and Ali met yesterday. It was only day two of getting Ashlyn and Eli’s stuff settled into their new apartment and Ashlyn was already close to going insane.

“I do.” Ali chirped as she sat beside Ashlyn on the floor and placed a kiss to her girlfriend’s lips. “Have I told you yet how much I love having you here? It is so much better than being hours apart.” Ali asked, nuzzling her head against Ashlyn’s shoulder.

Ashlyn continued to fold the clothes she was taking out of a suitcase and putting them in neat piles on the floor. “You might have mentioned it once or twice.” Ashlyn smirked, “But have I mentioned how I love being able to kiss you whenever I want?”

Ali pulled a thinking face for a few seconds, “Hmmmm, I don’t think you have. But maybe you should show me how much you love it.”

Ashlyn looked down to see Ali’s adorable nose crinkle and smiled, “I think I can do that.” Ashlyn leaned down to place a sweet gentle kiss to Ali’s lips, and Ali wrapped her arms around Ashlyn’s neck before pulling her down until they both were lying on the floor. Ali accidently kicked over one of Ashlyn’s piles of clothes as she moved to straddle the blonde. Ashlyn deepened the kiss and moved her hands up the back of Ali’s shirt. Ali was about to tell Ashlyn to just take the shirt off until she heard little footsteps running down the hall. She quickly stopped and sat up, but she was still straddling Ashlyn’s waist.

Ashlyn groaned. “What are you doing?” she asked as she tried to pull Ali back down.

Ali held up her hand to stop her, “Wait a second.”

Sure enough, a few seconds later Eli comes running into Ashlyn’s bedroom. “Mama, Ali! Come see my room! We finished it!”

“Ok, we’re coming!” Ashlyn smiled at her son as he ran back out of the room. “You have a knack for being able to hear him coming. Am I not holding your attention well enough when we’re kissing?”

“Maybe.” Ali joked as she stood up and reached out her hand for Ashlyn.

Ashlyn accepted the help off the floor, and hand in hand they walked to Elijah’s room. They entered to see Ashlyn’s mom hanging one last poster on the wall.

“Wow! It’s looks great, little man.” Ashlyn praised as she looked around the room. Because it was an apartment rental, the walls were still painted an off-white color, but the hardwood floor had a large green rug on it that looked like the design of an American football field. On his bed was a comforter that had baseballs all over it. He had hockey sticks hung over the bed and the lamp on his bedside table looked like a basketball. The clock hanging on the wall across from his bed was a soccer ball. But what really caught Ashlyn’s attention was the poster that her mother had just finished putting up. She walked closer to look at it and noticed that it was indeed a U.S. women’s soccer team poster. Ali Krieger in her number eleven jersey up there with the rest of the team.

“Well, would you look at that, Als. You made my son’s wall.” Ashlyn said as she turned to smile at her girlfriend.

Ali stepped up beside Ashlyn to also take a look at the poster and sure enough, there she was in the team photo.

“Wait, Mama! Look at this one!” Eli said excitedly as he pulled his mother over to his nightstand to point at a picture frame.

Ashlyn teared up at the site of the photo. She had forgotten that it existed. She looked up at her mom, “Where did you find this?” she asked in a barely audible voice.

Ashlyn’s mom smiled sadly down at her daughter, “It was in a box that was marked with Becky’s name. I was just looking through and found it. It was the only thing I showed him out of the box. I swear.” Her mother promised. “You don’t mind, do you?”

Ashlyn shook her head, “No, I don’t mind.”

Ashlyn wiped a single tear from her eye and looked over at Eli. “I love the photo.” She told him honestly.

“Grandmama said that I was just a little baby in that picture.”

Ashlyn nodded, “You were. It’s hard to believe you were ever that small.”

Ashlyn set the photo back down on the nightstand and went to pick up Elijah into a hug. “Why don’t we go out to eat for dinner? I’m starving.” Ashlyn said.

Ali and her mother nodded in agreement and Ashlyn walked out of the room with Eli still in her arms.

Ashlyn’s mother spotted Ali looking over at the picture from across the room, obviously curious as to what it was. Ali figured it must be something personal to get that reaction from Ashlyn. Ashlyn’s mom picked up the picture and brought it over to Ali. Ali looked at the picture and saw a younger version of Ashlyn, dressed in the goal keeper’s kit for the New York flash. In her arms was a baby who couldn’t have been more than four months old. She had the biggest smile on her face while she awkwardly held the baby, the awkwardness probably due to lack of experience.

“That was taken just about two months before Becky died. I remember Ashlyn being so excited because Becky and Elijah were coming to visit her and to see her play. Becky must have taken the photo. I just found it today.” Ashlyn’s mom explained.

Ali nodded and ran a finger over the picture. Ashlyn did look much younger, a lot more carefree then the woman Ali sees now. Ali couldn’t imagine what Ashlyn was feeling after seeing this photo. A photo of her innocently holding her bestfriend’s baby boy, not knowing that in a few months’ time she would be the only person he had left. Ali gained a new appreciation for the strength of her girlfriend as she set the picture back down on the table and followed Ashlyn’s mother out of the room.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

After dinner, Ashlyn’s mother and brother left to go back to their hotel and left the couple and a sleeping little boy with the mess at Ashlyn’s apartment.

“So your mom asked if she would be seeing me again around the holidays.” Ali admitted as she curled up next to Ashlyn on the couch.

“Oh, god. I’m sorry, babe. She shouldn’t have asked you that.”

Ali giggled, “Its fine. I like your mom…and Chris. He’s an acquired taste but I do like him.”

Ashlyn laughed, “Yea, I guess he’s pretty cool.”

“I got a question.” Ali admitted.

Ashlyn rolled her eyes, “You always do.”

“So can I ask it?”

“You do realize that you just asked if you could ask a question, right?”

Ali hit Ashlyn in the stomach, “Shut up!”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Ask your question, babe.”

“The picture on Elijah’s nightstand, does it bother you?”

Ali felt Ashlyn slightly tense before relaxing at Ali’s touch. “It doesn’t bother me…It’s just – It’s hard. I mean to think of the time that picture was taken. A lot of things are different. Becky’s gone. Elijah’s growing up…”

Ali knew why Ashlyn trailed off, “And you don’t play anymore.” Ali finished for her.

Ashlyn nodded and looked down at her hands.

Ali placed a hand on Ashlyn’s thigh and used her other hand to turn Ashlyn’s face towards her. “Hey, I didn’t ask to make you sad. I just want you to be able to talk to me about these things.”

Ashlyn sighed, “I know, and I’m not sad. I look at the life I have with Elijah and I know that this is where I am supposed to be.”

Ali smiled, “Right here?” she asked motioning to the couch, trying to lighten the mood.

Ashlyn smiled, catching on to what Ali meant. “Yeah, right here.” She said as she moved Ali on to her lap.

It wasn’t long until they were making out. Ali was straddling Ashlyn’s lap and Ashlyn had already removed Ali’s top. Ashlyn trailed kisses down Ali’s neck, collarbone, and chest then worked her way back up. “God, you are so beautiful.” Ashlyn whispered as she reached Ali’s neck again.

Ali breathed deeply trying to catch her breath. She had her hands tangled in Ashlyn’s hair and she felt like she was burning everywhere Ashlyn had kissed.

Ali looked back to stare into Ashlyn’s eyes. “I want you.” She whispered out in a raw, tantalizing voice.

Ashlyn closed her eyes as she ran her hands up and down Ali’s bare ribcage. “I want you too, Alexandra.” She took a deep breath as she prepared her next words. “But I don’t think now is the right time.”

Ali pulled back shocked, “Now’s not the right time?! You undress me with your eyes infront of your mother. You kiss and tease the whole time we are unpacking boxes. We are freaking making out on your couch and it’s not the right time?”

“Baby, don’t do this. All those reasons you just listed off are the reasons I don’t think it’s the right time.” Ashlyn said as she pulled Ali back into her. “I want to give you romance. I want your first time with me to be special. Something you don’t forget. I don’t want it to be on a couch in a room filled with unpacked boxes and a toddler asleep down the hall.”

“You actually want to make it special?” Ali asked softly.

Ashlyn laughed, “Ofcourse I do! Don’t you?”

“Well…yeah. I mean, it will be my first time with a woman soooo. I just didn’t know you were into the sweet, romantic stuff.” Ali admitted.

Ashlyn smiled and placed a kiss to Ali’s forehead, “See? That’s another reason to wait. We’ve only been dating for 6 weeks, known each other for 9. We are still learning things about each other. Like you just learned that I can be a romantic at heart, and I just learned that I’ll be your first in this kind of situation, which means I want to make it extra special.”

“You’re to amazing, Ashlyn Harris.” Ali whispered as she leaned in to Ashlyn.

“And you’re pretty spectacular yourself.” Ashlyn replied before closing the gap between their lips.

When they parted, Ashlyn ran her hands down Ali’s side and then slipped her hands into Ali’s. “How about we go to my bed and get some sleep? Just sleep.” Ashlyn emphasized.

Ali nodded as she started to yawn, “Sounds good to me.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali woke up the next morning in Ashlyn’s bed. Alone. She looked around to see if Ashlyn might be unpacking boxes but she wasn’t. She climbed out of bed and walked to the kitchen. Ashlyn was standing by the stove cooking.

“Hey.” Ali mumbled as she wrapped her arms around Ashlyn from behind.

“Good morning, Princess.” Ashlyn said as she turned the stove down and turned around to wrap Ali in her arms. “Do you want some breakfast?”

Ali wanted to say ‘yes’ but she just didn’t think it was right yet, “Actually, I think I should leave before Elijah wakes up.”

Ashlyn’s shoulders dropped, “Oh.” was all she said.

“He’s three, Ashlyn. I don’t want him to get the wrong impression.” Ali tried to explain.

“No, I get it.” Ashlyn promised. “Thank you for thinking about that.” She said honestly.

“I’m just going to drive home, take a shower, change clothes, and come right back. I want to be here to say bye to your mom and Chris before they leave, and you’ll still need help unpacking.”

Ashlyn nodded, “Ok. Be safe.”

“I will.” Ali insured before going on the tip of her toes to give Ashlyn a slow kiss on the lips. “I’ll see you later!” Ali called out as she exited the apartment.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Hey mom, can I ask a favor of you?”

“Helping you move all of your stuff from North Carolina to D.C. wasn’t enough?” her mom laughed.

“I’m serious, mom. I was wondering if you could keep Elijah for a few days around New Years. I figured since we would already be down at your house for Christmas I could leave him with you for a few days and do something with Ali for New Year’s Eve.”

“Ok, that sounds fine. What are you planning for you and Ali?”

“I’m not completely sure. But I want to do something special.” Ashlyn admitted.

Last night she had promised Ali that their first time together would be special and Ashlyn meant it. Now she just had to come up with a plan.


	10. Chapter 10

Ashlyn hopped up the stairs to Ali’s apartment with an extra pep in her step. It was the morning on New Year’s Eve and Ashlyn had some plans up her sleeves. She hadn’t seen her girlfriend since Ali had dropped her and Elijah off at the airport on the 23rd.

Ashlyn knocked continuously until Ali opened the door. Ali was expecting to be lifted up into a hug and greeted with a kiss, but instead Ashlyn only stood there. Her eyes shined, her dimple showed with her smile and she seemed to be in a trance at the sight of Ali.

“Ash?” Ali said as she waved a hand infront of her girlfriend’s face.

Ashlyn shook her head and looked back to Ali before taking her quickly into her arms. “Sorry, baby. You just look so beautiful.” She whispered in Ali’s ear before placing a kiss to her cheek.

“I’m wearing jeans and a sweater, Ashlyn.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ve missed you so much you could be wearing a paper bag and I would think you are beautiful.”

Ali blushed, “Are you finished flattering me and ready to go?”

Ashlyn grinned, “I’ll never be finished telling you how beautiful you are, but yes, I’m ready. Where is your bag?”

Ali rolled her eyes, “You are such a flirt. My bag is over there.” Ali pointed to her bag and Ashlyn grabbed it before leading Ali to her jeep.

Once they were in the jeep and Ashlyn had pulled off, Ali started up the conversation, “So is Elijah still enjoying the spy kit I got him for Christmas?”

Ashlyn chuckled, “Yes, however Chris is not. Elijah has been bugging him with it all week.”

Ali laughed, “Good! That should keep both of them occupied and out of trouble…So are you going to tell me where you are taking me?”

“Nope!” Ashlyn said with a wink.

“Come on!!! Not even a little hint?” Ali asked with a pout.

Ashlyn chuckled, “I’m not telling you, princess.”

Four hours later, after lots of laughing, singing, and car games, Ali quickly recognized where they were going. “NEW YORK!” She yelled excitedly as she looked out her window.

Ashlyn nodded, “But don’t get too excited. We aren’t going to Time Square. That’s too crowded.”

Ali kept her smile big, “I don’t even care! This is great!”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn had gotten them a hotel fairly close to the harbor. She knew that fireworks would be going off from boats in the water and she had already asked the hotel when making reservations if they allowed people on the roof to watch them. She had the whole night planned out and she was hoping it would end the way she wanted it to.

“So what should I wear for dinner? You didn’t give me any specifics when I was packing.”

“Ummm, nothing fancy. Just bundle up tightly because we’ll have to walk over to it.

Ali got ready fairly quickly and Ashlyn led her out of the hotel and out onto the streets of New York City. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Ashlyn stopped infront of a pizza parlor and opened the door for Ali.

“Pizza?” Ali quirked an eyebrow up at the coach.

Ashlyn just smiled down at her and they both shot their heads up when they heard Ashlyn’s name being called.

“Ashlyn Harris! You do not know how happy I am to see you.” An older man, probably in his mid-60s, called out as he moved in to give Ashlyn a hug.

“Hey Mr. Toni. You got a seat for us?” She asked.

“It’s waiting for you in the back.” He said as he motioned for the two women to follow him. He led them into a back room that had a window looking out into the street. There was only a single table set up in the room with a rose in the center. “Will this do?” he asked with a wink at Ashlyn.

“It’s perfect. Thank you.” Ashlyn said sincerely.

“So are you going to introduce me?” he said as he looked from Ashlyn to Ali and then back to Ashlyn.

Ali and Ashlyn both giggled, “Yes, of course. Mr. Toni, this is my girlfriend, Ali Krieger. Ali, this is Mr. Toni. He owns this lovely establishment. I used to come here all the time when I lived in New York.”

“It is very nice to meet you, Ms. Krieger.” Toni said as he gave her a winning smile.

Ali returned the smile, “It’s nice to meet you too.”

Toni then turned to Ashlyn, “You didn’t tell me how beautiful she was when you called.”

Ashlyn blushed, “Are you trying to embarrass me?” she joked.

Toni laughed, “Of course not, darling. So how is little Eli?”

“Perfect!” Ali answered before Ashlyn could get an answer out.

Ashlyn smiled and rolled her eyes, “More like being a three year old! He’s in to everything and doesn’t stop asking questions.”

Toni chuckled, “He sounds like a boy. Well, I let you two get on with your dinner. Happy New Year.” He said with a smile before turning to leave the women alone.

Ali smiled, “So do you know all of your pizza joint owners so well?”

Ashlyn chuckled, “No, Mr. Toni is an exception. He always treated me really well when I lived up here. I remember shortly after Becky told me she was sick, I came back up to New York to get all of my stuff to move back to Chapel Hill. I came here for one last pizza before leaving. I sat at the bar in the main room and drank myself under the table. At the end of the night, he put me in his car and drove me home.”

Ashlyn sighed at the memory, “I woke up the next morning on his and his wife’s couch. I felt so bad about getting that drunk and putting him in that position. But instead of judging me for it, he brought me coffee and asked me what was going on. I told him about Becky and Elijah. He was a huge help in sorting out my feelings. I’ve brought Elijah up here three or four times. His wife is really good at giving me some parenting advice.”

Ali smiled, “That’s really amazing, Ash. I’m glad you brought me here to meet him.”

“Yeah, I thought I would just bring you up here for lunch tomorrow, but when I called to tell him I was coming up he insisted that I bring you here tonight.” Ashlyn slightly blushed, “To be honest, I didn’t know he was going to give us a private table and all.”

Ali grinned, “Well, it was sweet of him.”

They continued through dinner and talked candidly about soccer. Ali was telling Ashlyn how much she was looking forward to getting back with the team to do Olympic qualifying. Ashlyn paid the bill and they started the walk back to their hotel, hand in hand.

“I am going to miss you and Elijah, though. I’ve only gotten you consistently for two weeks and then we were separated for Christmas. Now I leave next week for camp and I can’t help but think of how much I’ll miss you guys.”

Ashlyn smiled, “We’ll miss you too. But I know you’re going to enjoy being back with the team.”

Ali sighed, “I guess so.”

They reached the hotel and when they got in the elevator Ali looked at Ashlyn with confusion when the blonde pressed the button that took them to the roof. “What are we doing?”

“Going to the roof to watch fireworks.” Ashlyn explained as they stepped off the elevator and climbed a small amount of stairs to reach the door that led to the rooftop.

Ashlyn smiled when she saw the hotel had set chairs out all around the roof for their guests to watch the fireworks. They sat down and Ashlyn wrapped an arm around Ali to keep her warm. Ashlyn took a deep breath as she prepared herself to talk to Ali. She knew that she wanted to see her relationship with Ali progress but she couldn’t do that without talking first. “Listen Ali, I wanted to talk to you about us.”

Ali stiffened, “What do you mean?”

Ashlyn grabbed both of Ali’s hands into her free hand for reassurance. “I’m not used to talking out what I’m thinking when it comes to relationships, but I haven’t really been in a serious relationship since I got Elijah and I think maybe we should.”

Ali nodded. “Ok.” she said simply, letting Ashlyn lead this conversation.

“I’m not simple.” Ashlyn admitted. “I’m complicated. I have a son and that means I have to take my relationships seriously.”

“I understand that.” Ali insured her.

“I know you do. And I appreciate that. But the truth is…it took a lot, and I mean a lot, to resist you the other week. When you said that you wanted me, I promise there was nothing else in the world I wanted more in that moment than you. But if we progress in our relationship then I need you to know how serious I am.”

Ali sighed, “Ashlyn, I get that it’s serious for you. I want this to be serious. Tell me what it is you need.” Ali begged.

“I’m looking for someone to help me raise Elijah. Alexandra, I’m looking for someone to spend the rest of my life with. And I need to know if that is something you are interested in pursuing in the future. If a wife and son isn’t something that you could possibly see in your future then…” Ashlyn began to choke up but she held it together as she spit it out. “Then I need you to tell me now before we go any further.”

By this point in the conversation, Ali was crying and Ashlyn was trying not to look at her until she had an answer. Ali looked at Ashlyn to try and make eye contact but Ashlyn wouldn’t look at her. “Baby, look at me.” Ali said softly.

Ashlyn didn’t look up, “Ashlyn, look at me.” The defender said sternly.

Ashlyn looked up and Ali grabbed her face between both her hands so she couldn’t divert her gaze. “Ashlyn Harris, the past two months as your girlfriend have been the best of my life. And the almost three months I have known you have felt nothing less than magical.” Ali took a deep breath. “I want to be with you. BOTH of you. I love your little boy, Ashlyn, and that came simple to me. You and Elijah are a SIMPLE choice for me to make. Nothing complicated. You’re what I’m looking for.”

Ashlyn smiled, “You mean it?”

Ali nodded, and before she could say a word Ashlyn had crashed her lips onto hers.

“Do you want to skip the fireworks?” Ashlyn asked with a husky voice when she pulled away.

Ali nodded and they both practically ran back inside.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

The next morning Ali woke up curled next to Ashlyn. The sun was shining through the window and Ali was captivated by Ashlyn’s toned, bare shoulders. Ashlyn was lying on her stomach and Ali smiled as she began to kiss Ashlyn’s shoulder and climb on to her back.

Ashlyn moaned at the touch of Ali’s bare skin to her own.

Ali smiled against her tanned skin. “Good morning, sexy.”

“Good morning to you too.” Ashlyn said sleepily into her pillow.

Ali began to kiss her way down Ashlyn’s back. “I didn’t know you had tattoos on your ribcage.” Ali commented as she traced the flowers that covered Ashlyn’s skin.

“You mean you didn’t notice last night?”

Ali smirked, “I was busy doing other things.”

Ashlyn sighed as Ali continued to trace the lines of her tattoos. Suddenly Ali’s hand stilled close to Ashlyn’s shoulder blade. “Elijah.” Ali whispered. “When did you get that?” she asked as she started to trace the name of her girlfriend’s son on the soft skin.

Ashlyn closed her eyes and smiled at Ali’s touch. “I got it on his first birthday.”

“I like it.” Ali mumbled as she bent down and placed a kiss to the name.

“Hey, Ali?”

“Hmmmm?”

“If you keep lying on top of me then we won’t be getting out of bed anytime soon.” Ashlyn joked, breaking the tender moment.

Ali smiled and placed a kiss behind Ashlyn’s ear before whispering, “Good.”

Ali let out a shrill when she suddenly found herself lying on her back with Ashlyn hovering over her…They didn’t leave the bed that day. Best way to start a new year.


	11. Chapter 11

Ashlyn had called up Tobin to ask for passes to get on the field during practice the day before the USWNT game in Chicago on January 20th. Ashlyn had wanted to surprise Ali but she knew that she couldn’t tell anyone about her and Ali. She knew she could rely on her former UNC teammate to help her out without asking too many questions so she chose Tobin.

When they had reached the stadium Ashlyn bent down in the tunnel to be eye level with Elijah. “Ok, so Ali will be on the field when we go out there but you can’t go to her unless she’s not busy at the moment. Understand?” Ashlyn asked her son.

Eli nodded and grabbed his mom’s hand as they walked out to the sideline of the pitch. The team was stretching in a group on the grass and Tobin immediately spotted Ashlyn and waved. Ali had her back to the sideline and didn’t notice them until she saw a big group of girls had turned to where Tobin had waved and immediately started running in that direction. “Ashlyn!” she heard Heather shout as she watched the brunet jump into her girlfriend’s arms.

Ali was stunned, motionless, until she saw Eli running towards her at full speed. Her face lit up with a smile and she held her arms out ready to catch the boy in her arms. “Ali!” he squealed and some of the younger players looked on confused by the sudden commotion.

“Hey buddy! What are you doing here?” Ali asked as she squeezed the boy tightly in her arms.

“Me and mama came to surprise you!”

“Well, I’m very glad you did!” Ali said as she planted a kiss on his cheek and set him on the ground. “Come on, let’s go save your mama.” Ali said as she grabbed Eli’s hand and walked towards Ashlyn who was surrounded by several players.

Tobin, Whitney, Heather, Alex, and Abby were all crowed around, trying to yell questions over the others. Ali knew that Ashlyn was friends with several girls on the team because of her time at UNC and in the WPS. But she wasn’t expecting for them to all go running to her and leaving Ali in the dust.

“So did you bring Eli!?” Alex called out.

Ashlyn stopped and began to look around, she then spotted Ali and Elijah walking her way, hand-in-hand. She smiled widely as she pointed him out to Alex. Alex immediately ran over to Eli and the other women followed her and took Eli leaving Ali by herself. Ali walked slowly towards Ashlyn as to not appear too excited.

“What are you doing here?” Ali said with a wide smile as she allowed Ashlyn to wrap her in a tight hug.

“I missed you. And I wanted Elijah to have a chance to see you play. I don’t think we’ll be able to make it to London so I figured this was the best time to come see you.”

Ali smiled as she pulled away from the hug, “Well, I’m glad you’re here. I really am, but the girls…they don’t know…” Ali sighed, “They don’t know about us, Ashlyn, and-”

“I know, baby. I know. Don’t worry about it. I’m just here to see some old friends.” She said with a wink as she threw an arm around Ali’s shoulder. “Right, pal?” she teased.

Ali laughed, “I don’t think you’ve thought about how hard it’s going to be to resist me.” She said confidently.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ms. Krieger. I can behave.” Ashlyn said with a wink.

“Oh! My parents and Kyle are going to be here! I think they are getting in tomorrow morning. You can hang with them.” Ali said excitedly.

Ashlyn chuckled, “I know, babe. I called and talked to your mom and got seats beside theirs’.”

“Oh.” Ali said with surprise and she let her face drop.

Ashlyn looked down at her with concern, “What? Should I not have done that? Your parents seem to like me, and Elijah loves Kyle so I just figured…” Ashlyn trailed off with a shrug.

Ali cracked into a smile, “I’m just giving you a hard time, sweet heart. I think it’s a great idea for you to sit with my parents. I’m just nervous about leaving you alone with my them. I’m usually there to supervise.” she teased.

Ashlyn laughed, “Nothing to worry about, princess. I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“Good.” Ali said as she put a gentle elbow into Ashlyn’s side.

The women came back over to Ali and Ashlyn with Eli on Abby’s shoulders. “Please tell me you two will be joining us for dinner tonight.” Alex begged as she gave Ashlyn a side hug and pouted up at the former goal keeper.

Ashlyn laughed, “I don’t know. Where are you guys going? I gotta keep it family friendly.”

“Don’t worry about that! We’ll have Christie’s girls with us too. Just promise you’ll come.” Alex begged.

“Fine. I promise. Now give me my son and get back to practice.” Ashlyn demanded.

All the girls laughed and Abby put Eli down on the ground. Everyone ran back onto the pitch but Ali. “Where are you guys staying?”

“Same hotel as you. I asked Tobin where y’all would be when I asked her for the passes to get into practice.”

Ali smiled, “Great! I’ll text you when I get back to the hotel and find out your room number.”

She then bent down to Eli and kissed him on the cheek, “Bye, little man. I’ll see you in a bit!” Ali called out as she ran back to join her team.

Ashlyn and Elijah walked off and didn’t bother to actually stay and watch practice. Ashlyn needed to get Eli down for a nap.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

When the team began their cool-down laps, Heather purposely met pace with Ali. “I didn’t know you and Ashlyn were friends.” Heather admitted.

Ali shrugged as she continued her pace, “She lives in D.C. now. We’ve gotten pretty close. And I adore Elijah.”

“Oh, ok. How did you guys meet?” Ali’s roommate for the week asked.

“Whitney introduced us when I went down to the UNC vs. Penn State game.” Ali said. She knew it was a lie but she also knew that Whitney would cover for her if she needed it.

“Cool. Ashlyn’s great. She would rival our goal keepers if she was still playing. She was amazing.” Heather gushed.

Ali nodded, “You played together at UNC, right?”

Heather smiled big, “Yep! Best in the country.”

Ali rolled her eyes, “I beg to differ.”

“Whatever. Come on, slow poke.” Heather called back to her as she went running well past Ali.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn heard a knock on the hotel door and went to answer it. She was greeted with a passionate kiss to her lips and she quickly wrapped her arms around her girlfriend to pull her inside and close the door.

Ali pulled back, “That’s what I wanted to do when I saw you at practice today.” She admitted as she placed another kiss to Ashlyn’s lips.

“Mhmm, well I’m glad you made it up to me.” Ashlyn hummed.

“I really can’t believe you’re here.” Ali said smiling up at Ashlyn and keeping her arms around the taller woman.

“I wanted to see the magnificent, Alexandra Krieger in action.” Ashlyn teased.

Ali smiled mischievously, “Is Elijah still asleep?”

Ashlyn nodded, “Yeah.”

“Then how about you see me in action right now?” the defender asked as she pulled at Ashlyn’s shirt.

Ashlyn groaned, “We don’t have time, baby.”

“I think we have plenty of time.” Ali responded before connecting her lips to Ashlyn’s and not giving her another chance to talk.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Well, that’s an Ashlyn Harris’ ‘I just had sex face’.” Whitney teased as she watched her best friend come and sit beside her at the restaurant.

“Shut up.” Ashlyn said with a punch to Whit’s arm.

“What? I’m not as oblivious as the rest of the team. I know what’s going on. No reason to hide it from me…Besides, Heather said she never came back to the room after she finished her icebath. I figured she had gone to your room.”

“Whit, I’m begging you to not say anything. Ali doesn’t want the rest of the team to know.”

Whitney smiled, “I know, Ash. And I’m happy for you two. My lips are sealed until Ali decides she wants to say something. But you two have to be careful.”

About that time, Kelley and Alex came to join their table and Ashlyn gave Whit a quick “Thank you.” as she glanced to the table opposite of hers and noticed Eli sitting beside Ali. They were sitting at what the players usually called the ‘Kid’s table’ which consisted of Christie, her girls and whoever decided to sit with them.

Ali had already decided what she wanted to order and was trying to help Elijah decide. “What do you want to eat, buddy?”

“Icecream!” he said excitedly.

Ali and the other women at the table all laughed. “I don’t think your mama would approve of that. How about a grilled cheese?” Ali tried.

Eli pouted, “Pleeeaase, Ali?”

Ali closed her eyes remembering what Ashlyn had told her about learning to tell him ‘no.’ She couldn’t look into those blue eyes or she would cave. “No. You have to eat real food. Icecream is a dessert.” Ali said as sternly as she could.

Ali watched as Eli’s head dipped and she immediately felt a pang in her heart. She bent down to whisper in his ear, “But maybe we can convince mama to get icecream after dinner.”

Elijah immediately brightened, “Ok!”

Ali sighed in relief. It made her feel much better to see his smile. She really was wrapped around this little boy’s finger.

Reece started talking to Elijah and Ali tried to follow their conversation for a moment before realizing she had no idea what they were saying.

Christie smiled at Ali, “There is no telling what they are talking about.”

Ali laughed, “I know! It’s cute though.”

“So how long have you known Ashlyn?”

Ali noticed HAO eying her suspiciously to see if she gave the captain the same answer she had given her. “Whitney introduced us a few months ago. And then she ended up moving to D.C. so I’ve just been helping her adjust.”

Christie smiled, “That’s great. I remember when Ashlyn was playing, she was fierce.”

“That’s what Heather was telling me. I wish I could have seen her play but I was still in Germany during the WPS years.” Ali said.

Conversation flowed easily but Ali kept noticing Heather looking over at her and Eli. After dinner, Ashlyn had scooped Elijah up in her arms and thanked Ali for watching him through dinner. They had made an agreement earlier, before dinner, that Ali would come over to Ashlyn’s room after they had had their team meeting for the night.

They had finished their meeting and Ali had come back to the room to grab her cell phone before heading to Ashlyn’s room. Just as she was leaving her room, thinking she had escaped any questions from her roommate, she heard Heather call out. “Where are you going?”

Ali stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to her roommate, “Ashlyn’s room.” She admitted. She knew HAO would see right through her if she tried to lie.

“Ok.” Heather said and Ali took that as consent to leave and she turned to walk to the door. However, Heather spit out one more question right when Ali reached the door. “So how long have you and Ashlyn been together?”

Ali about choked on her on saliva. “Wha—What?”

“Don’t play dumb. She comes from D.C. to Chicago to see this game. I know you were in her room earlier before dinner. Her son is attached to your hip and you seem just as attached to him.”

“We’re close. That doesn’t mean anything.” Ali defended.

“Really? Cause I asked Ashlyn if she wanted me to tell Dave to look for her tomorrow during the game to keep her company and she said no because she was already sitting with your family. Everything I have seen between you two has screamed that your atleast dating. I’ve known Ashlyn for a long time and I know when she’s love struck. Spill, Krieger.”

Ali sighed, “It’s not that easy, HAO. You’re the first one to know.”

“Are you sure? Cause I’m pretty positive Whitney knows what’s going on.”

“Ok, so Whitney knows. She was there the weekend we met. She babysat Elijah when we went on our first date.” Ali admitted.

Heather smiled, “Now we’re getting somewhere.” She clapped her hands. “So you’ve been on a date. Anything else?”

Ali rolled her eyes. “She’s my girlfriend.” Ali mumbled.

“What was that, Krieger? Did you say that you have a girlfriend?” Heather asked with a playful grin.

“Shut up. You know what I said.”

Heather got a little more serious. “Why keep it hidden? Everyone loves Ashlyn, they wouldn’t care if you two were together.”

Ali shrugged her shoulders, “You don’t think they would be upset that I didn’t tell them I was gay?”

HAO scoffed, “Are you kidding me?! They’ll be ecstatic, Ali!”

Ali smiled, “Ok, I’ll think about it. I’m not ready right now though.”

“Ok, I understand.”

“Thank you! Now, I’m going to go see my girlfriend, and curl up on the bed with her and Eli and watch a movie.” Ali said as she started out the room.

“Awwww, such a cute little family!” Heather teased as she called out to Ali.

Ali blushed and left the room. She had a huge smile on her face as she walked to the elevator to go up to Ashlyn’s room. Family. Ashlyn and Elijah were becoming her family.


	12. Chapter 12

Ashlyn had to yell for Eli to stop running as the boy took off running towards Kyle and Ali’s parents. Eli slowed down but he was still a good bit ahead of Ashlyn. However, the little boy shocked them all when instead of launching himself into Kyle’s arms, he climbed quickly into Ali’s dad’s lap. Ashlyn and Deb smiled brightly and Kyle looked disappointed. Ken, however, looked quite pleased with himself.

“Eli, Buddy! Don’t you want to sit with me?” Kyle asked with a pout.

The other three adults laughed when Elijah shook his head no. Ashlyn gave Kyle and Deb a quick hug and opted for a handshake from Ken while he continued to hold Eli in his lap. They all took their seats when the game started and Ashlyn enjoyed watching Ken with Eli. The boy was asking lots of questions and Ken was being patient and answering each one.

It was 37 minutes into the game and Ali had a shot on goal when a Dominican Republic player made an ugly tackle. Ashlyn and the Krieger family all gasped and jumped to their feet with the rest of the crowd. Ali was down and she was clutching her knee. Deb immediately started to freak out, “Ken! What’s wrong with my baby?!”

“I don’t know. I can’t tell.” He snapped back.

Ashlyn was looking on with dread filling her insides as she saw Ali’s teammates motion for the trainer. Her heart dropped when she saw them bringing out the stretcher. Ashlyn reached over and grabbed Elijah from Ken’s arms. “Go.” She encouraged. “Go to the gate and they’ll let you back there to see her. Figure out if they’re taking her to the hospital. If they are then follow immediately and text us which hospital and I’ll get Deb and Kyle there.” Ashlyn said taking charge. Adrenaline rushing.

Ken nodded and took off down the stairs to get to his daughter. Ashlyn put Eli in a chair and told him to sit still. She then pulled Ali’s mother into her arms and tried to soothe the tears that were making the older woman shake.

“She’s ok. She’ll be ok.” Ashlyn tried to comfort while holding back her own tears. The sight of them carrying Ali off the field with tears streaming down and pain written over her face about killed Ashlyn.

Ashlyn eventually passed Deb off to the arms of Kyle and she leaned down so she was eye-level with Eli. The boy was sitting quietly, obviously confused about what was going on. “What’s wrong with Ali?” he whispered.

“I don’t know yet, baby. But thank you for being so good right now. I appreciate it.”

Elijah nodded and wiped at the tears building in his eyes, “I don’t want her to be hurting.” He cried and Ashlyn took him into her arms.

“I know, baby. Neither do I. Neither do I.” She soothed as she rubbed her son’s back and Eli buried his head in his mother’s neck.

A few minutes later Kyle got a phone call from his dad telling them which hospital they were taking Ali too. Ashlyn got them out of the stadium and into her rental car before heading to the hospital.

Once they had reached the hospital, Deb and Kyle immediately ran towards Ken and Ashlyn stood back with Eli, trying to not get in the way.

“What are they saying?” Kyle asked.

Ken shook his head, “They think it might be her ACL.”

Ashlyn’s eyes went wide. Her heart hurt for her girlfriend. Ashlyn knew what this meant, Ali wasn’t going to the Olympics in the summer. She had the same injury herself in college and she knew Ali was about to have a long road to recovery.

“Can we go in and see her?” Deb asked. Ken nodded and took his wife and son into Ali’s room while Ashlyn and Eli took a seat in the waiting room.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Deb immediately had Ali wrapped in a hug when she entered the room. “Oh, my sweet girl. I’m so so sorry. How are you feeling?”

Ali had tears running down her face, “I’m doing alright…”

“Are you still in pain?” Deb asked.

“No. I’m doing ok. They said the doctor will be over in a little bit to talk to us.” Ali paused not wanting to make her family feel bad but she had to ask. “Where’s Ashlyn and Elijah?”

Kyle was the one to answer, “They’re in the waiting room. Ashlyn wanted to give you space.”

Ali shook her head, “I don’t need space. I need them. Can you go get them?”

Kyle nodded and went to go get his sister’s girlfriend.

Ashlyn stood up as she saw Kyle walking towards her. “Hey. How is she?”

“She wants to see the two of you.”

Ashlyn smiled sadly before grabbing Eli’s hand and following Kyle back to Ali’s room.

Ali immediately began to wipe the tears from her face when she saw Elijah enter the room. She put on her best smile. “Hey! There’s my little man.” She said happily.

Instead of running to Ali like he usually did, he stood shyly by his mother. Ashlyn saw Ali’s face drop and gave her son a slight push towards the bed. Eli walked slowly over to Ali, the entire room watching as he came to a halt beside the hospital bed. “Hey Ali.” He whispered but didn’t look up at her.

Ali smiled and lifted his chin with her finger. “Hey, why don’t you come sit up here with me?” she asked as she patted the bed beside her.

Elijah shook his head. “I might hurt you.” He said sincerely.

Ali was almost in tears again at the concern the boy had for her. She looked up and let her eyes meet Ashlyn’s, silently asking for help.

Ashlyn came up behind Elijah and picked him up. “Come on, buddy. You won’t hurt her.” Ashlyn encouraged as she sat Eli on the bed beside Ali.

Elijah looked up at Ali to make sure and Ali nodded while bringing the boy into her arms. Ashlyn watched as tears sprung to Ali’s eyes as Eli wrapped his little arms around her neck and buried his face in her shoulder.

Ashlyn came and sat on the edge of the bed. She wiped away Ali’s tears as she placed a kiss to her forehead. “How are you feeling?” Ashlyn asked.

“Better now that I have you two. I’m not in as much pain; the meds are doing their job.”

Ashlyn chuckled, “Glad to hear it, baby. Do you need me to get you anything?”

Ali shook her head, “No, no. I don’t want you to leave. I need you here.”

“Ok. I’ll stay.” Ashlyn said as she kissed Ali’s head again before standing up and walking over to Ali’s parents.

“Any news?” Ashlyn asked.

Ken shook his head, “Not yet. We’re waiting for the doctor.”

Ashlyn nodded and leaned against the wall as she looked back over at Ali and Eli. Eli now had Ali’s head in between both of his little hands and Ali was laughing at something that he said.

When the doctor came in to the room, Ashlyn quickly made her way to the bed to get Eli. “Come on, Elijah. We need to let the doctor look at Ali.”

Eli nodded and turned back to Ali, “Bye Ali. I love you.” He said quickly as he placed a kiss to Ali’s cheek.

Ashlyn smiled and Ali had tears come to her eyes at the sound of Elijah telling her he loved her for the first time. She smiled widely at the little boy, “I love you too, Elijah. So so much.” Ali said as she pulled him in close for a tight hug before letting Ashlyn take him and leave the room.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Twenty minutes later Kyle, Deb, and Ken came out into the waiting room. Kyle took an almost sleeping Eli out of Ashlyn’s arms without even saying anything to her. Ashlyn looked at him curiously. Kyle shrugged, “She wants you. Why don’t you let me go ahead and take him back to the hotel so you can stay?”

“Are you sure?” Ashlyn asked.

Kyle nodded and Ashlyn leaned in to place a kiss to her son’s forehead before whispering a goodnight and heading to Ali’s room.

Ashlyn walked into Ali’s rooms and noticed Ali crying. She didn’t bother to say anything but instead sat on the bed beside her girlfriend and wrapped her in her arms.

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Ali spoke up. “ACL and MCL.” She simply said.

Ashlyn sighed and placed a kiss to Ali’s hair. “I’m sorry, baby. But you’re going to come back stronger. I know it.”

Ali leaned further into her girlfriend, “How do you know?”

“Because you’re Alexandra Krieger. You are the strongest, most amazing woman I have ever known. And Elijah and I will be there for you every step of the way.”

“Promise?” Ali asked looking up to Ashlyn for reassurance.

“Promise.” Ashlyn swore as she placed a soft kiss to Ali’s lips.

Ali pulled away with a smile. “Elijah said he loved me.” She said shyly.

Ashlyn smiled, “I know. I heard him.”

“I meant it when I said I love him too.”

“Well, he’s not the only Harris that loves you.” Ashlyn admitted.

“He’s not?” Ali asked with a smirk spreading across her lips.

“Nope, but the difference is that I’m in love with you. I mean it. I have fallen more in love with you every day that I have known you. And I know right now might not be the best time to tell you but-”

Ali connected her lips with Ashlyn’s. “I’m in love with you, too.” She breathed out as she pulled away. “And that might actually be the perfect ending to a really crappy day. So don’t ruin it by adding in ‘buts’.”

Ashlyn laughed, “Ok. I won’t.” she promised as she placed another kiss to Ali’s lips.


	13. Chapter 13

Ali was happy that they were able to get her home to the D.C. area before doing her surgery. She knew recovery was going to be tough. The doctor’s had told her that she would need to have someone take care of her during the first few weeks of recovery. Ali’s mom had offered but she felt bad taking her mom away from work. So now, two weeks after surgery, Ali was laying in Ashlyn’s bed struggling to reach her crutches that were laying on the floor.

She would have asked Ashlyn to get them for her but she had already left the bedroom for the morning. Ashlyn had warned Ali from the beginning that her apartment could get a little crazy at times with a three year old running around. But she never mentioned that it meant Ali would never wake-up with Ashlyn by her side. Ali had honestly looked forward to the idea of sharing a bed with her girlfriend until it became obvious during her first week there that Eli was always up early which meant Ashlyn was up early.

She had given up on getting her crutches and was about to yell for her girlfriend when Ashlyn and Elijah came walking into the bed room. Ashlyn was caring a tray of food and Eli had a single red rose in his hand. “Good morning, princess.” Ashlyn greeted.

“Hey. What’s all this for?” Ali asked as Eli hopped onto the bed and sat by Ali, handing her the rose.

“Valentine’s day!” Eli informed her as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. Ali looked up at Ashlyn quizzically. Unless she had slept through a whole day then today was February 13th, not the 14th.

Ashlyn smirked, “I might or might not have other plans for us tomorrow, so Elijah is celebrating Valentine’s Day with you today since he won’t be with us tomorrow.”

Ali raised an eyebrow, “Oh really?”

Ashlyn set the tray full of food on the bed. “Really. Tomorrow is just about you and me.” she winked as she leaned over Eli and placed a kiss to Ali’s lips.

“Mmm, well thank you. So what did you make for breakfast?” Ali asked Eli.

“Toast, eggs, and Bacon!” he said excitedly.

“Sounds yummy!” Ali responded as she took a piece of bacon from the tray.

“So since this is yours and Elijah’s special Valentine’s Day, you still don’t mind watching him while I run to the office?” Ashlyn asked.

Ali shook her head, “Of course not. I told you yesterday that I could handle it. You should go to your meeting.”

“But I feel bad leaving you two here by yourselves when you’re still on crutches.”

Ali giggled, “I’m fine, babe. I get around on the crutches pretty well and Eli is always a big help.”

Ashlyn sighed, “Ok…You’re sure?”

“Positive. Now go before you’re late, Coach Harris.”

“Alright.” Ashlyn conceded. “You two have fun with your Valentine’s Day.” She leaned over and kissed the top of Eli’s head and then placed a slow kiss to Ali’s lips. “I love y’all. I’ll be back this afternoon.”

Ali smiled, “Ok. Love you too.”

Ashlyn left the bedroom and a few minutes later Ali heard the apartment door close. They finished eating their breakfast and Ali set the tray on the nightstand. “So what else do you have planned for us?” Ali asked her date for the day.

Eli smiled and jumped down from the bed before running out of the room without answering her question. He came back in a minute later carefully carrying another tray. He set the tray on the bed and Ali saw that it had a bowl of popcorn, some candy, and two cans of sprite on it. Along with the food was a small selection of children dvds. “Are we having a movie day?” Ali asked with a smile as she examined the tray that Ashlyn had obviously set up for him before she left.

Eli nodded and grabbed one of the dvds and put it in the dvd player before handing Ali the remote so she could start the movie. Eli climbed onto the bed and Ali pulled him in close so he could snuggle into her. She smiled as she thought that this might be the best Early Valentine’s Day she had ever had.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“They will announce our allocations from the national teams officially tomorrow but here is the list we have been given.” Bill Lynch, owner of the Spirit, informed the group of coaches.

Ashlyn held her breath as the paper was passed to her, she was looking for one name in particular. When she saw the name ‘Alexandra Krieger’ appear before her eyes, she thought she might shout for joy.

“So, as you can see, we did ok. Portland and New York are both looking at very good allocations but I think we can compete. One problem that we are going to need to address before the college draft is injuries. We have Krieger who is recovering from ACL/MCL surgery. We need to keep that in mind.” Coach Parsons said.

Ashlyn panicked, “What do you mean? Are you thinking of trading her?”

“It’s a thought. We would love to keep her but we also need a healthy team ready to go in April and she won’t be ready.” He explained.

The rest of the meeting was fairly uneventful but Ashlyn was in full panic mood. She needed to talk to Parsons and Lynch. She knew that as a professional, she had to tell them she was in a relationship with Ali. Ashlyn stayed in the meeting room as everyone exited. Parsons and Lynch were talking so Ashlyn waited them out until they noticed her. “Can we help you, Harris?” Parsons asked.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you both about Ali Krieger.” Ashlyn said nervously.

“What about her?”

Ashlyn took a deep breath, “You see, the thing is…Ali and I are – We are, ummm, in a relationship. Have been for about 4 months.”

Coach Parsons cut his eyes at Lynch and Ashlyn immediately became nervous. They seemed to be having a silent conversation until Lynch turned to Ashlyn.

“I assume this means you would prefer that we not trade her?”

“I couldn’t ask that of you. Your interests should be in what’s best for the team, but we all know Ali is the best right back you could get. She just needs time to heal.”

“And how serious are you and Krieger?” Parsons spoke up. “Cause I don’t need drama between one of my coaches and my key defensive player.”

Ashlyn nodded, “I understand. Ali and I are fairly serious… I’m in love with her if that means anything to you, but I can assure you that no matter what, Ali and I will always be professional.”

Parsons seemed satisfied with Ashlyn’s answer but Lynch was still skeptical. “How do you think her recovery will go?”

“She’s confident. Ali is a tough woman and she is passionate about her craft. She’ll do what it takes to be back to 100% as soon as possible.”

Lynch nodded, “We’ll take this into consideration. We don’t want to trade Krieger, we are just considering our options. I promise that your relationship will not affect our decision.”

“Thank you.” Ashlyn responded before leaving the meeting room. Now she had to explain to Ali about telling Parsons and Lynch about them as a couple.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn got home around 3 O’clock in the afternoon and found both Ali and Eli lying in her bed asleep. She wanted to take Eli to his bed but noticed that Ali’s arms were wrapped around the boy. Instead she took her shoes off and climbed into the bed so Elijah was between her and Ali. Ali noticed the movement and immediately woke up. “Hey, sleeping beauty.” Ashlyn whispered as she leaned over Eli to kiss her girlfriend.

Ali smiled, “Hey.”

“So did you have a good Early Valentine’s Day?”

Ali giggled, “The best.”

“How long has he been asleep?” Ashlyn asked nodding down to Eli still nestled in Ali’s arms.

“Not long. I was barely asleep myself when you came in.”

“Good. I kind of need to talk to you about something.”

Ali raised an eyebrow, “A good something or a bad something? Because I’ve had a really good day with my little valentine and I really don’t want you to ruin it.”

“Both.” Ashlyn answered honestly.

Ali laughed, “Ok, then tell me the good one. We can put off the bad till later.”

“Alright. Good news is that they’ll announce tomorrow that you’ve been allocated to the Spirit.”

“Are You Serious?” Ali asked in a whisper scream because Eli was still asleep.

Ashlyn nodded.

“That’s great! That’s perfect actually.” Ali was very excited until she realized Ashlyn also came home from her meeting with bad news. “Well, now I can’t wait for the bad news. Does it have something to do with me?”

Ashlyn nodded again and turned her head away from Ali.

“What? Tell me.” Ali insisted.

“They mentioned trading you because of your injury but I don’t think they will.”

Ali looked confused, “That’s it? That’s not so bad, babe.”

Ashlyn shook her head, “No, that’s not all. Promise you won’t be mad?”

Ali looked seriously at Ashlyn, “What did you do?” she asked without making the promise.

"I had to tell them, baby. I had to tell Parson and Lynch that we’re dating. It wouldn’t have been professional of me if I hadn’t have told them.”

Ali’s eyes went wide in disbelief, “You did what?”

“I told them. I had to, Ali. You understand.”

“No! No, I don’t understand, Ashlyn! That isn’t something you should have told them without discussing it with me first!” Ali slightly raised her voice still aware that Elijah was sleeping between them.

“It’s not a big deal, Alexandra! They were fine with it as long as we stay professional at team events.”

“That’s not the point! The point is that you went and told two people I have never met something that I haven’t even told my own teammates! I have to work with them now, Ashlyn. That wasn’t your right to tell them?!”

“Not my right?!” Ashlyn yelled forgetting about her sleeping child on the bed as she stood up in frustration. “You’re my girlfriend, ALI! And this is MY job we are talking about here. I can’t afford to not tell them. I had every right to tell them that I was dating a player that just got allocated to their team!”

Before Ali could respond, Eli woke up startled. He had tears quickly forming from waking up to yelling. Ali tried to pull him into her arms for comfort but he went straight to the side of the bed and reached out to his mother. Ashlyn pulled him into her chest and tried to comfort him while whispering apologies in his ear for yelling. Ashlyn glanced at Ali who still seemed to be fuming from their argument. Instead of saying anything she walked out of the room with Eli in her arms.

Ali sat there on the bed completely stunned. If she could walk then she would have followed Ashlyn out of the room. Better yet, she would have left the apartment, but instead she was stuck. Ashlyn returned to her room that night only once. She left Ali some dinner and grabbed her pillow and a blanket to sleep on the couch.

Ali cried herself to sleep. She felt delusional to think that for a moment they were just a happy little family. They couldn’t even have their first proper argument without making Elijah cry. And on top of that Ali realized how much it stung when Eli automatically went to Ashlyn when he cried. Ofcourse, Ali couldn’t expect any more from the little boy, Ashlyn was his mother, the person he had always gone to with his tears. But Ali started thinking: if their relationship continued would Elijah ever want and need Ali the same way he did Ashlyn?

These were the thoughts that plagued her dreams.


	14. Chapter 14

To say Ali felt like shit in the morning would be an understatement. She woke up to find a bouquet of roses on the bedside table and a note from Ashlyn.

Good Morning Beautiful,

I left to take Elijah to a friend’s house for the day. I’ll make you some pancakes when I get back. Can’t wait to spend the day with you.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

I love you,

Ashlyn

Ali felt like she was going to be sick. Ashlyn was being nice to her on Valentine’s Day even though they had fought the night before. It was sweet, but her feelings from last night still remained. She still wasn’t happy that Ashlyn told her boss that they were in a relationship, and she couldn’t escape the nagging feeling of not being a part of Ashlyn and Eli’s family.

Instead of letting her mind continue to wonder, Ali turned over and went back to sleep.

An hour later, Ashlyn was coming into the bedroom with a tray of pancakes and some fruit. She noticed the note she had left for Ali had been opened but she was disappointed to find Ali was asleep. She set the tray down and gently started to rub Ali’s shoulder. “Hey.” She whispered softly.

Ali opened one eye and looked at the blonde before closing it. “Come on, baby. Wake up. I made pancakes.” The coach tried again.

Ali groaned, “I don’t wanna.”

Ashlyn smiled at how much her girlfriend sounded like a child at that moment. “Don’t make me get the tickle monster.” Ashlyn threated much like she would threaten Eli.

Ali giggled and slowly sat up in the bed, “Ok. Ok. I’m up.”

Ashlyn grinned, “Good! Because it’s Valentine’s Day and I got big plans for us.”

Ashlyn started to get out of bed and handed Ali the tray of breakfast. Ali paused for a moment, debating on whether or not to destroy the moment but she couldn’t go the whole day pretending they were fine just because it was February 14th.

“Ashlyn, what are you doing?” Ali asked with sigh.

Ashlyn looked confused, “What do you mean?”

“I mean that we got in a pretty big fight last night, but instead of talking it out like adults you never came back in to talk to me.”

“I had to take care of Elijah. I didn’t want to start arguing again with him around.”

Ali ran a hand through her hair, “You’re missing the point, Ash. WE are STILL in an argument! We haven’t talked this through.”

Ashlyn hung her head, “I just want to have a good first Valentine’s Day with you, Alibean. Can’t this wait?”

“No! It can’t wait! You went and did something that directly affects my friendships and professional career without even speaking to me about it. I can’t just let that go for the sake of Valentine’s Day!” Ali yelled.

“Then let it go for the sake of us, Ali! Because I can’t argue this through without saying something that might hurt your feelings!” Ashlyn yelled back.

“Go ahead! Tell me! Cause I rather you tell me then bottle it up!”

“Fine! I don’t understand what the big fucking deal is with you coming out! So what if I told Parsons and Lynch that you’re gay! They don’t care and neither will your friends! Get over it, Ali!”

“I can’t, Ashlyn! My friends might not care but my fans will. I’m not ready, and you shouldn’t be pressuring me! You should have talked to me first before mentioning it in your little meeting!”

Ashlyn threw her hands up in frustration, “I had to, Alex! I couldn’t not tell them I was sleeping with their right back! I have an obligation as a professional member of their coaching staff.”

Ali was fuming but she had no response.

“And here’s another thing.” Ashlyn said lowering her tone, as if she knew this one was going to hurt Ali as much as it hurt her to say it. “If you have any intention of being a part of mine and Elijah’s life then you can’t be ashamed to tell people. You are either 100% with us or you’re not. Fuck other people’s opinion. I can’t afford to have an ‘inbetween’ when it comes to my son. So make your decision, Alexandra.” With that said, Ashlyn turned to leave the room but stopped when she heard Ali crying.

Ashlyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning around. She couldn’t be cold to her, not to her Ali. She went straight back to the bed and wrapped Ali in her arms, “Sshhh, baby, please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

Ali shook her head and let the tears continue to fall, “No, you’re right! I went to bed last night wondering if Elijah will ever want or need me the way he does you. But I just realized that I don’t deserve that from him unless I give you 100%.”

Ashlyn’s heart swelled at Ali’s words. She immediately began to wipe the tears from Ali’s face. “I love you, Alex.”

Ali sniffed, “I love you too. And I’m sorry.”

Ashlyn shook her head, “Don’t apologize. You’re right, I should have told you that I was going to tell Parsons and Lynch before I actually did. It wouldn’t have killed me to wait a day to tell them so I could talk to you first. Let’s just enjoy our Valentine’s Day together now. Ok?”

Ali nodded and leaned in to kiss Ashlyn.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

That night Ashlyn took Ali out for their Valentine’s Day date. They had been driving for about twenty minutes when Ashlyn turned the jeep into a gate and Ali began to examine her surroundings.

“Ashlyn, where are we going? I can’t really walk.” Ali whined as she saw Ashlyn pull up to a park. She could see that there were lots of people, mostly couples, spread out in lawn chairs all facing the same direction towards a large projection screen.

“No need for you to walk. I already planned on carrying you.” Ashlyn said as she hopped out of the jeep and went to the trunk. “I’ll be right back to get you!” Ashlyn called to Ali before slamming the trunk shut.

Ali waited for a few minutes until the passenger door opened and slightly scared her. Ashlyn smiled, “Ready?” she asked as she lifted Ali into her arms and started carrying her towards the crowd of people in chairs. She eventually sat Ali down in a lawn chair that had two others next to it.

“Do we have someone joining us?” Ali questioned.

Ashlyn chuckled and shook her head. “Nope. Just a foot rest for you.” She said as she moved the third chair in front of Ali and helped her get the injured leg onto the chair. Ashlyn then sat down by Ali.

“So, are you going to explain to me what this is?” Ali asked.

“A silent film. I saw a poster about this in a coffee shop the other day. The park has done it annually on Valentine’s Day ever since silent films were popular. I think the poster said something about this being the 92nd annual showing or something close to that.”

Ali smiled at the pure adorableness that Ashlyn thought this would be a good idea for Valentine’s Day. The woman really was a romantic at heart. “That’s so cool. What are we seeing?”

“It’s called ‘Safety Last’, it’s a romantic comedy.”

“Sounds fun.” Ali said with a smile as she reached over to grab Ashlyn’s hand and bring it into her lap.

The movie started and Ali was trying to get Ashlyn to shut-up when she noticed people turning to stare at them. But instead of getting her girlfriend to be quiet, Ali was laughing at Ashlyn giving dialogue to the whole movie. She was putting together the most ridiculous sentences in an attempt to interrupt the movie.

Ali even noticed people giving them dirty looks as Ashlyn carried her back to the car after the movie and she ended up burying her head in Ashlyn’s shoulder to avoid the looks.

Ashlyn set Ali in the jeep and ran back to get their chairs before hopping into the jeep with Ali. They sat in silence for a moment until they both started laughing. “You disturbed all the people’s Valentine’s dates, Ashlyn!” Ali said still giggling.

“Hey! If anything I made their date more entertaining! That movie was horribly boring with no words!” Ashlyn defended.

Ali laughed harder, “That’s the point of a SILENT movie.”

Ashlyn grinned cheekily at her girlfriend, “Well, I don’t care what they thought anyway. Did you have fun?”

“The most fun I’ve had in a while. Thank you for getting me out of the apartment. I needed this.” Ali admitted as she leaned over the center console to give Ashlyn a kiss on the cheek. “But I do have one request.”

“And what might that be, princess?”

“Can we please go get food? I’m starving!”

Ashlyn laughed, “Consider it done.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn took Ali to a small Italian restaurant near her apartment. Fortunately, Ali was able to crutch herself into the restaurant and Ashlyn didn’t have to carry her in. They enjoyed a nice dinner and then made their way to pick up Elijah.

Ashlyn ran inside to get Eli and left Ali in the car. Ali smiled as she saw the blonde come out of the house carrying a sleeping brown haired, little boy in her arms. Ashlyn opened the back door to the car and carefully placed Eli in his carseat without waking him up. They got back to Ashlyn’s apartment and they both went to Elijah’s room and Ashlyn placed Eli in his bed. They each placed a kiss to his head and then went to their own room.

One thing that Ashlyn had greatly enjoyed over the past few weeks of Ali’s injury was her girlfriend’s need to have someone to help her get dressed. Ali was tired from an emotional day and she really just wanted Ashlyn to help her into her pajamas and take her to bed. “Babe, can you help me?” Ali asked.

Ashlyn grinned as she let her hands roam Ali’s body slowly as she pulled the defender’s shirt over her head. “Sure thing.” She breathed into Ali’s ear as she placed a kiss in Ali’s sensitive spot on her neck. Ali let out a deep breath as she felt Ashlyn kiss her way down her neck and to her collarbone. Her hands were soft and loving as they moved over her. Ashlyn let her hands trail down to Ali’s pants and began to pull them down. Once her pants were to her mid-thigh, Ashlyn placed her gently on the bed so she could pull them off the rest of the way.

Ashlyn hovered over Ali, her legs on either side of Ali’s and she ran her fingers up the brunet’s side to unclasp her bra. She slipped it off then groaned as her eyes moved back down over Ali, taking her in. She was left in only a pair of small, white, lacy panties, and Ashlyn became wet at the sight. And Ali was right there with her. The need to be with her, to connect with her on this primal level was taking over every single part of her. This time it was Ali’s hands that tugged at Ashlyn’s shirt, pulling it up and over her head and tossing it to the side. Her hands returned to Ashlyn quickly, smoothing up over her toned abdomen and broad shoulders.

“I want you so badly,” Ali whispered. Her lips curved at the corners as she said those words. She knew what those words would do to her girlfriend, how they affected her when Ali was vocal about her desires.

“God, I love you.” Ashlyn groaned as Ali’s hands came up to her face and she tugged her lips down to hers. Ashlyn’s entire body moved into the defender’s, hot skin against hot skin. “Do you know how much I love you, Alexandra?” Ashlyn whispered hotly into her ear, sending a shudder running through Ali’s heated frame.

“Show me.” she moaned as she wrapped her arms around Ashlyn, and pulled her closer with her good leg. Her right leg was throbbing in pain but she didn’t want this to stop. After the emotional roller-coaster they had been on the past two days all she wanted was to show Ashlyn she loved her, they hadn’t been this intimate since her injury and she just wanted to make it good for Ashlyn.

“I love how much better you have made mine and Elijah’s life over the past few months.” Ashlyn continued, needing to tell her how much she loved her instead of just showing her. Ali whimpered as Ashlyn’s lips moved to between her breasts. “I love how confident you are and I love your compassion…” Ashlyn said as she pressed an open-mouthed kiss on her chest and Ali arched into it.

“Ashlyn, baby, please!” Ali moaned.

“I’m not finished yet.” Ashlyn mumbled against the skin on Ali’s stomach as she continued to work her way down the soccer player’s body. “I love that you love me, but more importantly I love that you love my son.”

“Ashlyn.” Ali called out shakily as she threaded her fingers into the blonde’s hair and brought Ashlyn’s face back to hers. “You’re going to make me cry.” She admitted.

Ashlyn smiled, “I’m not trying to, Alexandra. I just want you to know how much I love you. I don’t want you to ever have any insecurities about us or your place in Elijah’s life.”

“I love that you are an amazing mother.” Ali whispered, sending goosebumps down Ashlyn’s back

Those words set a fire in Ashlyn, she had to show Ali in that moment just how much she meant to her. Her lips moved to the tops of Ali’s panties, she looked up and held Ali’s gaze as she reached for her hips, her fingers tucking into the band of her panties before pulling them down.

“Baby, please.” Ali begged, as Ashlyn’s fingers drifted over her wetness.

Ashlyn entered two fingers with ease and kissed her hips as she found a steady rhythm. They were at a good pace of give and take when Ashlyn heard Ali gasp out in pain and she quickly pulled back.

“What’s wrong?” Ashlyn asked with concern written over her face. “Is it your knee?”

Ali nodded with tears streaming down her face.

“Did you hurt it? Did your stitches tear? What do I need to do?” Ashlyn asked in a panic.

Ali shook her head, “No, no. It’s fine. I just had a shot of pain run through because I tried to move it. It’s stupid.”

Ashlyn moved to lay beside Ali and started to wipe away her tears. “It’s not stupid, baby. I’m sorry. I should have known better than to start something with your leg still healing.”

“No, I’m sorry. I ruined it. It’s Valentine’s Day and I can’t even show you how much I love you.” Ali sobbed with fresh tears running down her face.

“Ssshh, baby, don’t feel bad. I’m just sorry we couldn’t finish for your sake.” Ashlyn soothed as she placed a kiss to Ali’s forehead and brought Ali into her arms to snuggle.

They laid there in silence for several minutes before Ashlyn was startled by Ali letting out a small chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” Ashlyn asked as she pulled back a little to see Ali’s face better.

“I was just thinking about how dysfunctional we are. Last night we were fighting and tonight we couldn’t finish having sex because my knee started hurting. We are so weird.” Ali admitted as she continued to giggle.

Ashlyn laughed with her, “I guess we are a little dysfunctional. But I think we did pretty well for our first argument and first Valentine’s Day together.”

Ali’s nose crinkled as she grinned up at Ashlyn, “Definitely. And I’m looking forward to many more.”

Ashlyn made a face, “Even the arguments?”

“Well, I might not be looking forward to those, but I rather argue and make-up then lose you.”

“Agreed.” Ashlyn said and placed a kiss to Ali’s nose. “Goodnight, princess. I love you.”

Ali yawned, “I love you too, baby. Happy Valentine’s Day.”


	15. Chapter 15

Close to a month after Valentine’s Day Ali had moved back into her apartment. She was off crutches and starting on rehab, no longer needing someone to help her with things. However, Ashlyn had to admit that she missed having her around. Ali was a big help, especially towards the end when she was walking again. She would make dinner, do laundry, or entertain Elijah while Ashlyn cooked dinner or did laundry. They had formed a good system but now she was back at her own place. They were done playing house.

And as much as Ashlyn was disappointed, no one was more disappointed than Eli. “Mama, why doesn’t Ali live with us anymore?” the three year old asked innocently while Ashlyn pulled a shirt over his head.

“Because she didn’t live here, buddy. She was just staying until her booboo got better.” Ashlyn tried to explain.

“I liked it better when she helped me get dressed.” He huffed.

Ashlyn playfully scoffed as she began tying one of his tennis shoes, “And what’s so bad about me doing it?”

“She let me pick my own clothes.” He said before letting out a small cough.

Ashlyn laughed, “Well then, I’ll work on letting you do that more often. How does that sound?”

Eli smiled at her but it immediately turned into a coughing fit.

Ashlyn patted his back and brought him into her arms, “Hey, are you ok? Do you feel alright?”

Elijah nodded.

“Are you sure? Because I don’t want to send you to daycare if you’re sick.”

“I good.” Eli promised his mother.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn finished getting Eli ready for daycare and put him in the car. The new routine was for the two of them to swing by Ali’s apartment and pick her up for training before dropping Elijah off at daycare.

When Ashlyn pulled up to Ali’s apartment she jumped out of her vehicle to grab Ali’s bag and help her to the car. “Good morning, beautiful.” Ashlyn said as she grabbed Ali’s bag and placed a quick kiss to her lips.

“Good morning.” Ali smiled before getting into the backseat of the jeep with Eli.

Ashlyn raised an eyebrow, “You’re not going to sit with me this morning?”

“Nope, Ali and Eli time.” She responded grinning up at Ashlyn.

Ashlyn shook her head mockingly, “Ok, whatever.” She closed the door for Ali before getting in the driver’s seat and driving towards the training complex.

Ashlyn smiled as she glanced at Ali and Elijah through the review mirror.

“Hey, Ali.” Elijah said with a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes.

“Hey, good morning, handsome.” Ali beamed as she placed a kiss on his cheek, however when she pulled away from him, she no longer had a smile on her face. Her hand immediately went to his forehead.

“Ashlyn, he’s burning up. I think he has a fevor.”

Ashlyn glanced into the back, “Are you sure? He was coughing this morning but he said he felt fine.”

Ali felt his forehead again, “Yeah, I’m sure. Ash, you can’t drop him off at daycare like this.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

“My training is pretty light. I can keep an eye on him while you work.”

Ashlyn nodded and Ali turned her attention back to Eli. “Does your throat hurt?” Ali asked with concern sketched across her face.

Eli nodded and then turned to coughing.

“Are you cold?”

“Yes.” He croaked out and that prompted Ali to shrug her warm-up jacket off her shoulders and drape it over the little boy.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

They reached the sporting complex and Ashlyn got out of the car to open the door for Ali and get Elijah from his carseat.

Ashlyn felt Eli’s forehead for herself when she picked him up out of the car and immediately panicked. “Are you sure I shouldn’t just take him straight to the doctor now?”

“He should be fine until we’re finished here. I’ll keep a close eye on him. I promise.” Ali said as she took the boy from Ashlyn’s arms and Eli buried his head into the crook of her neck. Ashlyn quickly went to the trunk and grabbed hers and Ali’s bags before following Ali inside.

They walked into the facilities and Ashlyn handed Ali her stuff. “Are you sure that you got him?”

Ali rolled her eyes, “I’m sure. Now go.”

Ashlyn placed a quick kiss to the top of Eli’s head before running off to her office before training started.

Ali carried, a now sleeping, Elijah into the locker room.

“Watch out ladies! A tiny man is in the room!” Lori jokingly called out and the rest of the girls laughed.

“Haha, very funny.” Ali said as she set her bag down beside her locker. “He’s sick and I offered to take him since I’ll just be in the weight room.”

Lori rolled her eyes, “You and the coach seem mighty close, Kriegy. Sure there isn’t something you’re not telling me?”

Ali quickly turned away from Lori so she couldn’t see the blush come across her face. She pulled a towel out of her bag and spread it across the floor with her free hand and then laid Eli on the towel.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about. Ash is my best friend. Just doing her a favor.”

Lori raised an eyebrow, “That’s it?”

“Yep.” Ali said firmly, ending the conversation by starting to undress and change into her practice clothes.

Lori allowed Ali to drop the conversation because there were other girls in the locker room, but she had every intention of bringing this back up later.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

After practice, Ashlyn came into the weight room looking for her son and girlfriend. She found Ali on the elliptical and Eli was sleeping on a yoga mat beside the machine.

“Hey, how has he been?” Ashlyn asked as she came up to them and bent down beside Elijah.

“Sleeping. Lots of sleeping.” Ali responded as she came to a stop on the machine.

“Do you think I should take him to the doctor?”

“Yeah, why don’t you go ahead and call the doctor’s office and ask if they can take him in about thirty minutes. We can go straight there.” Ali suggested.

“We?” Ashlyn asked with a smirk.

Ali rolled her eyes, “Yes, we. I’m not leaving him now.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

45 minutes later, the three of them were sitting in an examination room at the pediatrician’s office. Elijah was barely awake and he refused to sit on the examination table and was instead curled into Ali’s arms who was sitting in the single chair in the room. Ashlyn stood beside them, anxiously taping her fingers against the wall.

The doctor finally came in and Ashlyn didn’t even bother to whisper the “Finally” that came spilling out of her mouth.

He was tall with dark, blonde hair. If Ashlyn was straight then she might have even said he was hot but she instantly didn’t like how he looked at Ali. He glanced over Ali from head to toe before he even spoke a word to them. “Hi, I’m Dr. Franklin. And this must be Elijah.” He said as he glanced down to his chart and bent down to be eye level with Eli, who was still snuggled in Ali’s lap. “Do you think you could sit on the table for me?” he asked in a soft tone.

Eli shook his head and wrapped his arms tightly around Ali, hiding his face away from the doctor.

“Come on, buddy.” Ashlyn tried as she moved to rub her hand in circles on her son’s back. “Let the doctor look at you so you can get all better.”

Eli shook his head again and Ashlyn sighed.

Dr. Franklin looked at Ali, “If you could just get him to turn around I could examine him while he sits in your lap.”

Ali nodded and whispered something in Eli’s ear that neither the doctor nor Ashlyn could hear, but a second later Elijah turned around.

“Thank you.” Dr. Franklin said as he gave a wink to Ali and then focused all of his attention back on Eli.

The doctor examined the boy and had some tests run and then got ready to leave the room. However, before he left the room he turned to Ali. “Excuse me if I’m stepping over the line but I didn’t notice a ring and I was wondering if-”

Ashlyn didn’t even let him finish before she had stepped towards Ali and placed a hand on her shoulder.

The doctor nodded as he realized what Ashlyn was implying and didn’t bother to try and finish asking out the defender. He left the room and closed the door.

Ashlyn immediately went off, “What the heck was he thinking!? That was completely unprofessional!”

Ali laughed, “Calm down, babe. He knew from the paper work that I wasn’t Eli’s mom. He probably thought it was ok.”

Ashlyn threw her hands up, “What did he think? That I just brought my friend along? That’s stupid. It should have been obvious that we were together.”

Ali rolled her eyes. “Whatever. It’s not that big of a deal. You made it very clear that I belonged to you.”

“Damn right I did.” Ashlyn muttered as she leaned back against the wall to wait for the doctor to come back in with the results of Elijah’s tests.

The doctor came back in 15 minutes later. He got straight to the point, “It looks like acute bronchitis. It is easily treatable. He doesn’t even need any kind of prescription medication.”

“So what do we need to do?” Ashlyn asked impatiently.

“Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs. Maybe give him some children’s aspirin for the sore throat and fever. Plenty of rest and keep him hydrated. It shouldn’t last longer than 10 days. If it does then bring him back in.”

Ashlyn nodded, “So that’s it?”

“That’s it.” The doctor agreed.

Ali stood up with Eli still in her arms and Ashlyn didn’t hesitate to put her arm around Ali as they walked out of the exam room. She even dared to turn and give the doctor a pointed look as they went to the check-out desk.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“We are never taking Elijah back to Dr. Franklin again.” Ashlyn announced as they walked through the door of her apartment.

This time it was Ali’s turn to smirk. “We?” she mimicked Ashlyn from earlier.

Ashlyn smiled, “Yes, we. You said you weren’t leaving.”

Ali had a silly grin on her face, “You’re a cheese ball. A big, overprotective, jealous, cheese ball.”

“Oh, yes. Haha. Very funny. I wasn’t jealous. Just letting him know who you belonged to.”

“Whatever. Go put your son to bed and I’ll order pizza. Oh, and by-the-way, we owe him icecream when he wakes up. That’s how I got him to cooperate at the doctor’s office.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“This is nice.” Ashlyn whispered to Ali over Elijah’s head. Eli had woken up with a coughing fit in the middle of the night and instead of going back to sleep in his own bed, he decided he wanted to sleep with them. So now the sick little boy was snuggled deep into the bed between Ashlyn and Ali.

Ali quietly giggled, “Sure. But I feel like I’m intruding. I should have just gone home.”

Ashlyn shook her head, “You could never intrude. Besides, he usually doesn’t come and sleep with me. I think the only reason he wanted to come in here was because he knew you were here.”

Ali blushed, “You think so?”

“I know so. Just this morning he was asking me why you don’t live with us anymore.”

Ali nodded, obviously thinking something she wasn’t going to share with Ashlyn. Eventually she spoke up, “Maybe tomorrow I could stay with him here instead of going to training. I’m not officially back. I’m just working at my own pace anyway.”

“You can’t do that, babe. You need to keep up your rehab.”

“I can do my stretches and some exercises here. You need to be at training, I don’t really have to. So let me stay.”

Ashlyn sighed, “You sure?”

Ali smiled, “Definitely. It will give me a chance to take care of him after he was such a big help to you when it came to taking care of me.”

“Ok. If you insist. But promise me that you’ll do some exercises tomorrow.”

“Promise.” Ali swore as she leaned over Eli and placed a kiss to Ashlyn’s lips.


	16. Chapter 16

When Ashlyn was getting ready to leave for work the next morning, Elijah was snuggled tightly into Ali’s side. Ali had one arm resting on the boy’s back and Ashlyn thought that it might be the most adorable thing she had ever seen. She even took a quick picture and set it as the screensaver on her phone before placing a kiss to both of their foreheads and exiting the apartment as quietly as possible.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali woke up with Eli snuggled into her and his head resting against her chest. She marveled at the idea that she wanted spend the rest of her life like this. She placed several gentle kisses to the top of the boy’s head until he slowly woke from his slumber.

“Good morning, sleepy head.” Ali whispered when Eli peeked an eye open at her.

Ali giggled when instead of returning the greeting he buried his head back into her chest and closed his eyes. “Come on, buddy, wake up.” she encouraged.

Elijah shook his head and Ali pulled him in her arms until he was lying on top of her. She rubbed his back soothingly as she kissed the top of his head again. “If you wake up and watch a movie with me then we can have icecream for breakfast.” She tried.

Eli barely lifted his head and raised an eyebrow at Ali to see if she was serious. Ali smiled and nodded and the boy slowly climbed off of her. Ali got out of the bed and instead of Eli hopping off to follow her, he stood on the edge of the bed and held his arms out for Ali. The woman laughed and scooped him up in her arms before carrying him off towards the kitchen. But not before making him swear not to tell his mama about having icecream for breakfast.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Hey, Ash! Your phone is ringing!” Lori called from across the weight room. Ashlyn wouldn’t usually bring her cell phone out during training but she felt it was important to have it around with Elijah being sick.

“Could you check to see who it is?” Ashlyn asked as she continued to spot for Chantel on the bench press.

“Sure!” Lori called out as she took a look at Ashlyn’s phone. “It says Chris.” She told the coach.

Ashlyn shook her head, “Just my brother. Don’t worry about.”

Soon the phone stopped ringing, but that didn’t stop Lori from seeing a familiar face pop-up on the screensaver before the phone went black again. Ali.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Hey, Coach!” Lori teased as she came walking into Ashlyn’s office after training.

Ashlyn rolled her eyes, “Please don’t call me that. Makes me feel old even though you’re older than me.”

Lori chuckled, “Alright, I’ll keep it to Harris.”

“Thank you.”

Lori took a seat in the chair in front of Ashlyn’s desk, “Sooo…What’s with you and Krieger?”

Ashlyn’s eyes went wide, “What do you mean?”

This time it was Lori’s turn to roll her eyes, “Don’t play dumb with me, Harris. I’ve seen your little glances during team meetings over the past month. I’ve seen how much she adores your little boy. And more importantly, I’ve seen your screensaver which looks a lot like Ali Krieger in your bed.”

Ashlyn sighed and rubbed both her hands over her face. “Shit, Ali is going to kill me.”

Lori shrugged, “I don’t see why. I don’t care and I pretty much had it figured out before. I just needed confirmation and your phone provided it. So how long has this been going on?”

“Around 6 months, but you can’t tell anyone yet. Ali will freak!” Ashlyn said in a panic.

Lori held her hands up, “Whoa, chill. I’m not gonna tell anyone. It’s not my place to out a couple who doesn’t want to be out.”

Ashlyn scoffed, “It’s not the couple who doesn’t want to be out, it’s a particular half of the couple.”

“Ooooooh, that’s why Kriegy has been acting so weird. Has she not told her family?”

“No, she’s told her family. But she feels like she owes it to the national team to tell them before she makes it public.”

“I’m a part of the national team but when I asked her about it she told me you guys were just friends.” Lori said in an almost hurt tone.

“I think she wants to do it when you are all together. It’s a big deal. When she comes out it will affect the whole team. There will be press and news stories written, and she’ll have a lot of attention on her. Especially when she is dating a coach on the club team that she currently plays for. I understand her reluctance to do it.”

“Understandable, but let her know that I know. It will make her life easier if she knows that she has a teammate to talk to.”

Ashlyn nodded her thanks. “I will.”

“Good, and let me know if you need a baby sitter when you want to have a hot date. I’m up for the job!”

Ashlyn chuckled, “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn entered her house to the sound of her two favorite people laughing, one laugh was distinctively Ali’s but the other one was a raspy version of her son’s. “Hey, what are you two laughing at?” the coach asked as she followed the laughter towards her kitchen. She laughed herself when she noticed her son and girlfriend covered in flour.

“Mama!” Eli cheered with a smile that was brighter than it was the day before.

“Hey, little man.” Ashlyn said as she scooped Eli off the counter he was sitting on and into her arms. “Have you and Ali had fun today?”

Eli nodded quickly, “We’re making cookies!” he said before going into a coughing fit.

Ashlyn patted his back as he coughed and waited till he was finished to turn her attention to Ali.

“Has he been coughing all day?”

Ali nodded as she stepped closer to the blonde and pulled the mother and son into her arms. “He has been. But his fever is better than it was yesterday.” She said before placing a kiss to Ashlyn’s lips.

Ashlyn hummed as Ali pulled away, “You taste like chocolate.”

Ali giggled, “I think we ate more chocolate chips then we put in the cookies.”

Ashlyn rolled her eyes. “Of course you did. And you probably ate sugar cubes for lunch.” She joked.

Ali made a fake gasp, “Us? Never. We don’t even like sugar.”

Ashlyn laughed and placed a kiss to Ali’s nose before helping clean the kitchen.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn bathed Elijah and got him settled in bed before returning to the living room where Ali was sitting on the couch. She slipped in beside her girlfriend and pulled her in close. “Have I told you today how much I love you?” Ashlyn asked as she placed a kiss to Ali’s cheek.

Ali hummed with a thinking look on her face. “I don’t think you have.” she finally let out.

“Well, then let me tell you that I love you more than words can describe. Thank you for taking care of Elijah today. I appreciate it.”

Ali shook her head, “I love you, too. But you don’t have to tell me thank you for taking care of him. I love him, Ashlyn. I love him more than I could imagine.”

Ashlyn had tears in her eyes at Ali’s confession. “Can I ask a question that I am dying to know the answer to?”

“Sure.” Ali quickly agreed as she snuggled closer into Ashlyn.

“You told me once that you would give me 100% because you wanted to give us a try. But now…. now could you see a future with us?”

Ali had a huge smile spread over her face, “Ashlyn, it’s not that I ‘could’ see a future with the two of you. I DO see a future with you. I woke up this morning here in your home with Elijah by my side and everything felt perfect. You are becoming my family, and I love who I am when I get to be in your family.”

Ashlyn had tears freely running down her face, “I am so happy to hear you say that.”

Ali wiped away Ashlyn’s tears, “Does that mean you see me in your future too?”

Ashlyn nodded her head, “Yes! God, yes, woman! I love you.”

“Good.” Ali whispered as she connected her lips with Ashlyn’s.

Their kiss quickly became heated and Ashlyn picked Ali up and carried her to her bed. Ali quickly removed Ashlyn’s shirt and was fumbling with the zipper on her pants when Ashlyn suddenly remembered that she hadn’t told Ali that Lori knew about them.

Ashlyn reached down and grabbed Ali’s hand that was struggling with her pants. “Baby, wait. I got to tell you something.”

Ali groaned. “Can’t it wait?” Ali asked as she kissed down Ashlyn’s neck.

“Lori knows about us.” Ashlyn spit out, ignoring Ali’s question.

Ali paused and pulled away, “What the hell, Ashlyn? That couldn’t wait?”

“You’re not upset?”

Ali rolled her eyes, “I have questions about how she found out, but I honestly just want to fuck you right now. We can talk about it later.”

Ashlyn was shocked as she let Ali resume kissing her, but she wasn’t going to even bother questioning it.


	17. Chapter 17

Ashlyn was happy to see her and Ali’s parents getting along so well. Both families were at the National Zoo in D.C. celebrating Elijah’s fourth birthday. It was their parents’ first time meeting each other and it seemed to be going well.

Ashlyn smiled as she moved away from her and Ali’s parents to go over to her girlfriend. Ali was watching and laughing at Chris and Kyle lifting Eli over their heads and teasing about throwing him in the cage with the Zebra. The boy was squealing and squirming and the three were attracting quite a bit of attention with their fun.

Ashlyn came up behind Ali and wrapped her arms around the brunet before resting her chin on Ali’s shoulder. “Remind me again why I let you invite my family up for this.”

Ali rolled her eyes as she placed her hands on top of Ashlyn’s. “Because it’s your son’s fourth birthday. It’s important.”

Ashlyn groaned, “Uggh, I can’t believe he’s 4. That makes me feel so old.”

The defender giggled, “You’re not old. You can feel old when we watch him graduate from high school.”

Ashlyn sighed and placed a kiss to Ali’s neck, “I like hearing you say ‘we’.”

“Get used to it.” Ali said with a wink before wiggling out of Ashlyn’s grasp and going over to the boys. She quickly grabbed Eli from Kyle’s arms, ‘saving’ him from being thrown in with the animals.

“Can we do face paint?!” the four year old asked excitedly.

Ali laughed, “Sure thing, buddy.”

Ashlyn came up behind them, “What’s a sure thing?”

“You getting your face painted like a lion.” Ali said nonchalantly as she walked away with Eli in her arms leaving Ashlyn, Kyle, and Chris to catch up.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

By the time they returned to Ashlyn’s apartment for birthday cake, Eli was passed out in Chris’ arms. Ashlyn’s face was indeed painted like a lion, while Ali looked like a zebra and Elijah looked like a monkey.

“Where should I put him?” Chris whispered to Ashlyn as they all entered her apartment.

“Just take him to his room. I rather him nap now so he isn’t cranky while we eat later.”

Chris nodded and carried Eli towards his room and Ashlyn followed to make sure her son was placed securely in his bed.

Kyle collapsed on the couch and Ashlyn’s dad went immediately to the recliner. Ken forced Kyle to sit properly on the couch so he could also sit.

Ali led the mothers into the kitchen and they started getting things ready for pizza and cake.

“Ali, do you know where Ashlyn keeps the pizza cutter?” Ashlyn’s mom asked as she looked through a draw.

“Oh, yeah. It’s over here.” Ali said as she quickly grabbed it out of another drawer and handed it to her girlfriend’s mother.

“You seem to know your way around here pretty well.” Deb teased her daughter.

Ali shrugged, “Well, I did live here for a little over a month after my surgery.”

“And she still does practically live here.” Ashlyn teased as she came into the kitchen. Her face wiped clean of the paint that had been on it earlier.

“I sleep at my apartment sometimes.” Ali defended.

“Yeah, sometimes being the optimum word, sweet heart.” Ashlyn shot back.

Ali scoffed, “Don’t act like you don’t like having me around.”

Ashlyn chuckled as she came over to Ali and wrapped her in her arms. “You’re right, baby. I love having you here.” She said before placing a quick kiss to the shorter woman’s lips.

“Stop being sappy and help your mom set the table.” Ali instructed as she pulled away and slapped Ashlyn’s butt.

“Fine, but clean that stupid Zebra off your face. It’s weird to kiss you with all that paint on your face.” Ashlyn called back.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

When Elijah woke up from his nap they all ate pizza and got ready to eat birthday cake. It was, of course, chocolate cake because Ali and Eli were the ones that went to the store to pick it out.

Everyone sang happy birthday and Elijah blew the candles out. He opened some presents, including a new racecar track that he insisted that Ashlyn set up on the living room floor immediately.

Ali smiled from her seat on the couch as she watched Ashlyn looking confused by the directions to Eli’s new toy. Elijah was waiting impatiently beside her. Kyle came and sat beside her on the couch and put his phone in her lap with a particular picture pulled up on the screen. Ali glanced down to the phone and saw a picture of her, Ashlyn, and Elijah in front of the welcome sign at the zoo. Ashlyn was holding Eli, and Ali had both of her arms wrapped around them and was placing a kiss to Eli’s cheek.

“Looks like a pretty cute family if you ask me.” Kyle whispered. Ali was still staring at the picture. “I think you have something special, Alibean. You deserve for the whole world to see how happy you are with them.”

Ali nodded. “I am happy. So so happy.” She admitted. She passed the phone back to Kyle. “Can you send that to me?”

“Sure.”

When the picture reached Ali’s phone she opened it to stare at it again. She debated for a long time whether to post it now or wait until she meets with the National Team in two days. She was about to go into a training camp and the US Soccer trainers would examine her progress while the other team members prepared for the upcoming Olympics. She continued to look at the photo until she finally decided that she didn’t care, she wanted the whole world to know how happy she was in this moment. She posted the picture on Instagram. Captioned: ‘Perfect day with my two favorite people. Happy 4th Birthday, Elijah Harris! I love you!’

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Their families had left a few hours ago and Elijah had finally gone to sleep after much struggling to get him to bed. Ali was currently waiting in bed for Ashlyn to come out of the bathroom. When she heard the door open, she quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. Ashlyn climbed into bed behind her and wrapped her arms around Ali. Ali felt Ashlyn nuzzle her nose into the back of her neck before Ashlyn finally spoke. “I know you’re not asleep.” She whispered softly.

Ali giggled, “Yeah, but I didn’t want you to send me back to my apartment.”

Ashlyn chuckled, “And why would I do that? I would get cold.”

“Good. I like falling asleep in your arms.” Ali admitted as she pushed herself further into Ashlyn.

“I’m glad you do because I wanted to ask you something.”

Ali’s heart started to beat a little faster and she smiled to herself. She was pretty sure which question Ashlyn was about to ask. “Ok.”

“What made you put that picture up on instagram? I thought you were going to wait until you had talked to the team.”

Ali was surprised. That wasn’t the question she was expecting. She took a moment to think of the best answer. “I know, but it’s not like I full-on came out with that photo. Kyle just said something earlier that got me thinking. He said I deserved for the world to see how happy I am. So I showed them.”

Ashlyn gave Ali a squeeze, “You mean it? You’re really happy?”

“More than I know how to express.”

“Move in with us.” Ashlyn stated more than asked.

Ali’s smile went huge. That was what she was hoping Ashlyn would have asked earlier. “Is that how this relationship is going to be? You’re just going to tell me what to do? You’re not going to ask?” Ali teased.

Ashlyn huffed, “Fine… Alexandra Krieger, will you please move in with me and Elijah?”

Ali giggled and decided to tease her girlfriend a little more. “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.”

Ashlyn groaned. “Alex, don’t do this to me.”

Ali laughed and flipped over so she was facing Ashlyn. She placed a gentle kiss to Ashlyn’s lips before giving her the answer, “Of course I’ll move in. I practically live here anyway.”

And they both laughed.

~~ ~~ ~~ Two Days Later ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali walked into the meeting room where the team was having lunch. She ate and laughed with several of her friends, no one mentioning Ali’s instagram post from earlier in the week. When she noticed some of the girls were getting ready to leave and go back to their rooms, she stood up and cleared her throat.

“Hey Girls! If you don’t mind, I would like to make a little announcement.”

The room went silent. All eyes were on Ali.

“So most of you know Ashlyn Harris. Some of you even played with her a few years ago. Well…” Ali took a deep breath. “I’ve been dating her for a little over 7 months now, and I’m finally ready to make our relationship a little more public. So I wanted to tell you guys because I know it will receive some media attention. But more importantly I wanted to tell you all because you are my family.”

Ali barely had time to take a breath and examine the girls’ reactions before she heard Pinoe over the silence. “We knew you were dating since January!” she called out. Ali blushed and the rest of the girls laughed. They all congratulated Ali on finally coming out, and Lori, Whit, and Heather were all happy that they no longer had to keep the secret.

Ali was relieved to have told her teammates. She knew that this was a major start to her new life with Ashlyn and Elijah, and she was looking forward to it.


	18. Chapter 18

Ali had been in a touchy mood during the weeks leading up to the national team leaving for the Olympics. She was getting more frustrated with herself during practices with the Spirit, and Ashlyn just couldn’t seem to do anything right.

The Olympics had been going on for a little over a week when Ashlyn really started to notice her girlfriend’s depressed demeanor.

They had watched every game. Ali cheering loudly when the team scored and yelling at the tv when they did something stupid. Ashlyn was by her side during every game and had gradually seen her get worse as the tournament continued. However, last night was the U.S. vs Canada game and as soon as the game was over Ali went straight to the bedroom and shut the door. She didn’t eat dinner, and the only time she spoke was to tell Elijah goodnight when Ashlyn brought him in the room to give Ali a kiss goodnight.

Ali barely managed to say, “Love you too.” when Ashlyn left for work the next morning. The NWSL season had a temporary stall until the Olympics were over, but Ashlyn still had some paper work and planning to do. Ashlyn knew she needed to do something to help Ali get out of her funk, so on her way home she grabbed a bouquet of fresh daffodils and figured that she would offer to cook dinner tonight.

When she walked in the door Eli immediately ran to hug her. “Hey, buddy!”

“Hey, mama.” 

“Did you and Ali have a good day?” Ashlyn asked.

The boy shrugged and let out a weak, “No.”

Ashlyn looked at him confused. “What? Why”

“I think she is sad.” He said before going back into the living room and started to play with his cars again.

Ashlyn took a deep breath before entering the kitchen. She didn’t know what state Ali would be in when she went in. She walked in to see Ali sitting at the table on her lap top. “Hey, baby!” Ashlyn said in a cheerful tone, trying to lighten the mood. She held the yellow flowers out for Ali and the defender only stared at them.

“I got these for you.” Ashlyn tried again.

Silence.

Ali turned back to her computer screen and Ashlyn gave up trying to give the flowers to her and set them on the counter as she got out a vase to put them in. “So did you have a good day?” Ashlyn asked as she pulled the paper off the flowers.

Silence again.

Ashlyn sighed as she trimmed the bottom of the stems off the flowers and put them in the vase. She placed the vase on the center of the table Ali was sitting at and simply stared at her.

Ali finally looked up at her, “What?” was all she mumbled.

“I’m waiting for you to say something to me. Anything for all I care. A thank you for the flowers wouldn’t hurt either.” Ashlyn snapped.

“Thank you.” Ali barely whispered out.

Ashlyn was tired of Ali’s mood. “What do you need me to do, Ali?” she asked throwing her hands up. “I’ve tried everything, baby! Everything! I know you wish that you could be there with the team but you’re not. Shit happens, but you’ll be at the next Olympics. I know it. And I don’t know how to make this better for you but I’ll do whatever it takes.” Ashlyn pleaded.

Ali shook her head, “There’s nothing you can do, Ashlyn. I’m  
just sick of it. Sick of not being able to play at my best. Sick of not being with national team. Sick of all of it!”

“Let me help you, baby.” Ashlyn tried as she pulled Ali into her arms.

Ali quickly pushed her away, “No! I’m sick of all of it! I mean that I’m tired of being stuck in this apartment, I’m tired of trying to act happy so I don’t stress you out, and if I have to hear Elijah send those damns cars around that racecar track one more time then I swear I’m gonna go crazy.”

Ashlyn closed her eyes in an effort to control her anger, “So you mean that you’re sick of us. Glad to know you feel that way.”

“That’s not what I meant, Ashlyn.” Ali tried weakly.

“Actually, I pretty sure that is exactly what you meant! You’ve been treating me like a bitch for days and barely paying attention to Elijah. I know that you’re disappointed about the Olympics but that’s not a reason to take it out on us. And honestly, I could handle you taking it out on me but I don’t understand it with Elijah. What the hell is going on with you, Ali?!” Ashlyn shouted

“I haven’t done anything to Elijah!” Ali defended herself, finally raising her voice to match Ashlyn’s.

“Exactly! You haven’t done anything! You don’t pay attention to him, you don’t play with him, and you stopped tucking him into bed. He’s confused, Ali! Do you know what he said to me when I walked through the door today!? Do you know!?”

Ali shook her head.

“He said you were sad. For the first time ever, when I asked him if he had a good day with you he said no… Don’t do that to my son, Alex.” Ashlyn warned.

Ali was in tears, “I didn’t mean to, Ashlyn.”

“I don’t fucking care, ALI! You have to realize that parenting is 24 hours/7 days a week. You can’t just shut off because you feel crappy. It doesn’t work like that!”

“I know that!” Ali shouted back. “I know that. I just need a break.” She said a little quieter.

Ashlyn sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “I don’t care what it fucking takes, Alexandra. Just get you’re shit together.” Ashlyn said before walking out of the kitchen and into the living room with Eli.

Ali didn’t follow behind her until about thirty minutes later. She came into the living room having just hung up the phone after talking to Kyle. “I’m going to London with Kyle.” was all she bothered to start with.

Ashlyn’s eyes went wide, “What do you mean?”

“I called Kyle to talk, and he asked if I wanted to go to the gold medal match. He knew I was in a funk and offered. We’re going.” Ali said flatly.

Ashlyn turned her attention back to her son, not bothering to look up at Ali again. “Glad you’re getting that break you wanted then. When do you leave?”

“Early tomorrow morning so we can get there in enough time for the game the day after.”

Ashlyn nodded. “Good. Hope you have fun.”

Ali stared for a moment longer expecting something else but nothing came. She went to the bedroom and packed her bag, but she noticed that Ashlyn didn’t come to bed that night.

~~ The next morning~~

“Ash, I’m getting ready to leave.” Ali whispered as she shook Ashlyn awake from the couch.

Ashlyn sat up and sighed. “Ok, let me walk you to the cab.”

Ashlyn grabbed Ali’s bag and they walked outside to the curb where a cab was waiting. Ashlyn gave the bag to the cab driver and turned her attention to Ali.

“Look, Ashlyn, I just need to do this. It might make me feel better. You just don’t understand what I’m going through right now.” Ali tried to reason.

Ashlyn visibly flinched at her words. “Don’t act like I don’t know, Alex. I know what it is to not be able to compete because of things outside your control. You don’t think I wanted to be at these Olympics myself?! Pia had me set to come into camps. I was going to have a chance. Pia was going to give me four years to really prove myself, but things happen, Ali. Things we can’t control, and I wish you would realize that this won’t make you feel any better.”

“Well, I think it will.” Ali snapped.

“Fine. Go. I don’t care anymore.” Ashlyn said as she opened the cab door for Ali and waited for her to get in.

Ali paused by the door before getting in, “I’ll see you in a few days.”

Ashlyn nodded, “Ok.”

“Tell Elijah bye and that I love him.”

Ashlyn nodded again, “Ok. But you should have told him yourself.”

Ali sighed, “Please don’t start again. I have to leave now or I’ll be late.”

Ashlyn rolled her eyes in frustration. “Fine, goodbye. Have fun with your brother.”

“I’ll try. I love you.” Ali said.

“Love you too.” Ashlyn said flatly before guiding Ali into the cab and closing the door.


	19. Chapter 19

Ashlyn was in her office working. She had watched the U.S gold medal match with the other coaches earlier and she had seen the cameras span to Ali in the crowd. She heard her cell phone ring and saw the picture of Ali pop up on her phone. She looked at the picture for a moment, debating whether to answer, before she caved, “Hello?”

“Hey.” Ali said softly.

It was the first she was hearing from Ali since she left. Ashlyn had only gotten a text from Kyle to say they had landed safely and that Ali seemed upset. Ashlyn hadn’t responded to him.

“What do you want, Ali?” Ashlyn asked coldly.

“I was hoping to talk with Elijah.” Ali whispered out.

“He’s at daycare.” Ashlyn said shortly.

“Oh, I guess that means you’re at work. Sorry to interrupt you.”

“Don’t be sorry. I was just doing paper work.” Ashlyn said in a softer tone.

“Did you watch the game?”

“I did. Tell the girls they played great.”

“I will…I miss you.” Ali admitted quietly.

Ali heard Ashlyn sigh.

“Don’t you miss me too?” Ali asked and Ashlyn could hear her start to cry.

“Baby, please don’t cry. Of course I miss you.” Ashlyn soothed.

“Then why won’t you talk to me?” Ali asked desperately.

“Because you haven’t been talking to me, Alex! This is the first I’ve heard from you in 48 hours. And I don’t think any conversation that we need to have can be done over an international phone call.”

Ali closed her eyes in an attempt to hold back her tears. “I’m coming back the day after tomorrow.”

“We’ll talk then.” Ashlyn paused. “I love you, baby. We just…we need to…”

“I know.” Ali said not making Ashlyn finish. “I know. And I love you too, so so much. Tell Elijah that I love him.”

“I will.” Ashlyn promised, her tone warmer then it was at the beginning of the conversation.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Kyle found himself next to a very nervous Ali Krieger on their flight home.

“Hey, what’s up with you? I thought this trip was to make you feel better. You look as much of a wreck as you were on the flight over here.” Kyle observed.

Ali shot him an ugly look. “Don’t tease me, Kyle. I’m not in the mood.”

Kyle slung an arm around his sister, “Come on, Alibug. Tell me.”

“I just…I talked to Ashlyn the other night and she was still upset. I said things I shouldn’t have said before I left, and honestly looking back I shouldn’t have left. I shouldn’t have left after the way I had been acting. There is no telling what she is thinking right now.” Ali let out.

Kyle sighed and pulled her close, “What exactly did you do, Ali?”

Ali started crying at the thought of what she had done, “I shut down. I ignored them. Eli was trying so hard to get my attention, and I couldn’t bring myself to feel anything. All I could think about was soccer and how I wanted to be with the team.”

“It sounds like you need to sort out your priorities. As much as it pains me to say this, because I love Ashlyn and Eli, are you sure that they are your priority?”

Ali’s eyes went wide, “What do you mean?! Of course they are my priority! I thought coming here would make me feel better because I missed the team, but the whole time I’ve been gone I’ve missed Ashlyn and Elijah more than I ever missed the team. I love them.”

“I know you do, baby girl. But you have to choose. I’m not saying soccer can’t be a priority because it can and should be.” Kyle paused a second to think before starting again. “Do you remember during my drug abuse years? Soccer was always a priority for you during those years but I was family, and family was your number one priority. You were always there for me first. So… What’s your number one priority now, Alex?”

“My family.” She said simply.

“Your family?” Kyle asked, digging for more.

Ali took a deep breath, “Mom, Dad, you, Elijah, and Ashlyn. You’re my family.”

Kyle nodded his head, obviously pleased with himself. “Then do whatever it takes to fix things with Ashlyn. That girl loves you and so does her little boy. Don’t screw it up.”

“I won’t.” Ali swore.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali walked into the apartment to find no one home. She set her bags in her and Ashlyn’s bedroom and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As she walked into the kitchen she noticed the wilted daffodils that Ashlyn had bought for her still sitting on the table. She then noticed a small stack of mail sitting on the table all addressed to her.

She went through her mail, got a glass of water, and went back to the bedroom to unpack. She was putting the last pair of jeans back into the closet when she heard the front door open. She could clearly hear Elijah rambling on about something to Ashlyn, she smiled at how much she missed the sound of him talking.

Ali quickly made her way down the hall and caught Ashlyn and Elijah just as they entered the living room. Elijah quickly spotted Ali and ran to her. Neither Ali nor Eli said a word as Ali picked him up to embrace him tightly. “I missed you so much, baby.” Ali whispered into his ear as she continued to hold him close.

Eli only squeezed his arms tighter around her neck. “I missed you too. You didn’t say goodbye.” He said sadly.

Ali began to tear up, “I know, baby, but I promise I will never do that again. I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

The woman and little boy continued to hold onto each other for a few more moments before Elijah spoke again. “Ali?”

“Yea, little man?”

“Are you going to do mama things again with me or are you still sad?” he asked innocently.

Ali’s heart broke. He had just described what she was to him without having to say the words. She had become a mother to him, and she hadn’t been doing her job lately.

She nodded, unable to speak do to her emotions.

“Good. I like having two mamas.” He said.

Ali looked up to Ashlyn with surprise and Ashlyn only gave a slight smile.

“Well, I like being here for you.” Ali responded the best way she knew how. She then set Eli down on the ground. “Do you think you could go play for a minute while mama and I talk?” she asked.

Elijah nodded and happily skipped off towards his room.

Ashlyn and Ali stared at each other for a good minute before either one of them tried to say anything.

“I missed you too.” Ali said as she took a step towards Ashlyn.

“We both missed you. A lot. You’re a part of our lives now, Ali.”

“Good. Because I got to do a lot of thinking and some talking to Kyle, and I realized that I let my injury cloud my priorities. I set my priorities up wrong because I was trying to get back to the game and I forgot that family comes first. Always.”

“Family?”

Ali giggled at the similarity with her conversation with Kyle. Ashlyn was digging for the deeper meaning. “Family. You, me, Elijah. My family. Our family.” Ali said steadily as she stepped closer to Ashlyn until she was right infront of her.

“And what does it mean to be a family?” Ashlyn asked.

Ali smiled, “To love each other. To put each other first. To be there for each other. To support and cherish each other.”

“And Elijah and I are your family?” Ashlyn asked with a small smile creeping on to her face and her hands coming to rest on Ali’s waist.

Ali nodded, “More than all those things.”

Ashlyn smiled down at Ali and gave her a kiss. “Good. Because I have a question to ask you for Elijah.”

Ali raised an eyebrow, “For Elijah?”

“Yes, he asked me this week, while you were gone, if you were his mama like I was his mama.”

“Why did he ask that?”

“Because he said we both do ‘mommy things.’ I told him that you being his mama would be a decision that we would have to ask you about.”

Ali nodded and her face turned serious as she began to think over what this really meant. “I don’t want to be his mama.” Ali paused and she immediately saw Ashlyn deflate. “I don’t want to be his mama. I want to be his mommy. I mean, we would need different names wouldn’t we? It could get confusing if he called us both mama.” Ali smiled before letting out a giggle.

Ashlyn laughed and pulled Ali into her arms. “But we need to talk about what happened when you left the other day before we tell Elijah anything.” Ashlyn said seriously.

Ali nodded and led Ashlyn to sit on the couch. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything, Ashlyn.”

“I know, baby. But I need to know that this won’t happen again. Not that you can’t have time for yourself, everyone needs that, but that you won’t go without talking to me. What hurt the most is that you wouldn’t talk to me, Ali. Not talking won’t help anything. We have to communicate if we are going to raise Elijah together and spend our lives together.”

Ali grabbed both of Ashlyn’s hands, “I will. I’ll talk to you I swear. I was such a bitch the past few weeks and you guys didn’t deserve that. I felt like I was walking on egg shells around here because I wasn’t sure exactly where we stood. On top of that, I was unsure about my place on the national team. The few days I had with the team helped me realize how much I was wanted there, and Elijah wanting to say that I’m his mother brings so much clarification. I was feeling insecure, but I’m not anymore.”

Ashlyn smiled, “I’m really happy you feel that way. If we start this, I mean letting Elijah call you his mommy, then I hope you feel like we can be equals in this. This means I want your opinions, whether they agree with mine or not. You can’t be afraid to tell me things. We do it together.”

Ali smiled brightly, “Together.”

“And I hope you know that this means I want to marry you one day.” Ashlyn said with a blush tinting her cheeks.

Ali’s nose crinkled with the big smile that was blastered across her face, “And have babies with me?” she teased lightly.

Ashlyn rolled her eyes, “Of course, lots of babies as long as you’re the one carrying them.”

Ali laughed, “Deal.”

Ashlyn leaned in and placed a sweet kiss to Ali’s lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Do you want me to go with you to tell Elijah about calling you mommy, or do you want to do that by yourself?”

Ali’s eyes brightened, “Do you mind if I do it by myself?”

Ashlyn shook her head, “Not at all. Go for it.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Hey, buddy.” Ali said cheerfully as she came into Elijah’s room. The boy was playing with blocks on the floor and Ali sat down beside him.

“Hey, Ail.”

Ali sat there in silence for a minute just watching him play. How do you bring this kind of thing up?

She took a deep breath before starting. “Eli, what do you think of me as?” She finally asked.

Eli looked up at her confused. “Whatcha mean?”

Ali took a second to think about how to ask this to a four year old, “I mean when you tell your friends who I am, what do you say?”

“I tell them you’re like my mama but you’re not my mama.”

“Do you want me to be your mama?” Ali asked.

Eli’s face turned red in embarrassment and he nodded his head.

“Well, then how about I be your mommy? Would that be good?”

Eli looked up at her, “Really?”

Ali smiled and nodded.

Eli jumped up and had his arms wrapped around Ali in a matter of seconds. “I love you, mommy.” He whispered in Ali’s ears.

Ali had tears form in her eyes as she held Eli close to her, “I love you too, Elijah.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

That night Ali and Ashlyn both went to tuck Elijah into bed. “Goodnight, buddy. I love you.” Ashlyn said as she tucked Eli in tight and placed a kiss on his head.

“Goodnight, mama. I love you.”

Ashlyn stepped back and let Ali in to kiss THEIR son goodnight.

“Goodnight, mommy. I love you.” Eli said with a sleepy smile on his face as Ali bent to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Goodnight, handsome. I love you.” Ali whispered.

Ashlyn led Ali out of the room and back to living room. Ali picked up her cell phone before sitting next to Ashlyn on the couch. Ali went to her contacts and pulled up her mother’s phone number. Ashlyn looked over her girlfriend’s shoulder to see what she was doing.

“You’re calling your mom?”

Ali nodded and turned to kiss Ashlyn’s cheek. “Yep. If it’s ok with you, I want to call and tell her that she has a grandson now.”

Ashlyn had a goofy grin on her face, “I think that sounds like a great idea.”

Ali smiled and pressed dial on her phone.

“Hello?” Deb said as she answered the phone.

“Hey mom!” Ali said excitedly.

“Hey Deb Deb!” Ali’s mom heard Ashlyn call from the background.

Debby laughed, “Hey, you two. What’s going on? Did you have fun in London with Kyle?”

“Yeah, I had a great time, but I’ll tell you more about that later. I called you for a reason.” Ali said, excitement leading her straight to the point

“Oh?” the older woman questioned her daughter.

“Yeah, you see the thing is you’re a grandmother now.” Ali said happily.

Deb laughed, “Well, I’m going to assume this has something to do with Elijah because it would take a miracle for Ashlyn to get you pregnant.”

Ali laughed, “Yeah its Eli. Ashlyn and I talked today when I got back, and well… He called me mommy for the first time today.”

Deb could sense the smile on her daughter’s face. Ali’s happiness radiated through her voice. “I’m happy for you, baby girl. Kyle told me that you were upset earlier, I guess this means that you got everything worked out?”

“Yeah, we got everything worked out. Now we just need you and dad to pick out what you want Elijah to call you guys.”

“Sounds great, sweetie. And you’re happy?” Deb asked, just to make sure.

“More than I can tell you, mama.” Ali admitted softly.

“Good. This better mean that we get to see the three of you soon. You can’t keep my grandson away from me.”

Ali smiled, “Of course. I promise we’ll come over this upcoming weekend sometime. Bye, I love you.”

“Love you too, sweetheart. Bye.”

Ali hung up, snuggled deep into Ashlyn’s arms, and whispered a sleepy “I love you” before letting the jet lag take over and dozing off to sleep on the couch.


	20. Chapter 20

Ashlyn was sitting on the couch of Ali’s parent’s home. Elijah was sitting on the floor half playing with the car he had brought and half paying attention to the tv. Ali had gone off into the kitchen with her mother and Ken had disappeared into his ‘man-cave’ shortly after lunch was over.

Ashlyn barely noticed Ken walk into the living room until he spoke. “Hey, Ashlyn, I…uh…I was going to play golf at the club and Ali mentioned that you liked to play golf. So…Would you like to join me?” Ken asked uneasily to his daughter’s girlfriend.

Ashlyn had a mini panic on the inside as she kept a smile on her face. She knew that she got along well with Ken but they had never been in a place where it was just the two of them.

Ashlyn finally shrugged, “Sure. Why not.”

“Great. I’m planning on leaving in about twenty minutes.” He said before walking into the master bedroom.

Ashlyn immediately hopped off the couch and headed straight to the kitchen. Ali was washing dishes and Debby was sat at the kitchen table clipping the Sunday paper coupons.

“Golf with your dad?” Ashlyn whispered into Ali’s ear as she came up behind her. “Are you serious?”

Ali smiled at Ashlyn freaking out, “I thought it would be good for you two. You mentioned that you liked to play golf at the course near your parent’s house. I thought you might enjoy it.”

“And what do you think that your dad and I will talk about during a whole afternoon of golf?”

Ali rolled her eyes, “I don’t know. But you can hold hour long conversations with a four year old. I think you can handle my dad.”

“And what are you going to do while I’m gone.”

“My mom wants to go shopping. Eli and I will go with her.”

Ashlyn scoffed, “You’re going to take a little boy shopping?”

“Yes, I’ve taken him shopping before. He’ll be fine.”

“Ok. Whatever. Wish me luck with your dad.”

Ali smiled and leaned up to peck Ashlyn’s lips. “Good luck, baby. You’ll have fun. Plus, my dad doesn’t talk that much anyway.”

Ashlyn rolled her eyes and walked out of the kitchen.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Elijah Harris! Stop running right now!” Ali called as she chased after the boy down the aisle of jcpenny.

Elijah finally stopped when he went barreling into the legs of a man that stuck his hand out to keep the boy from falling.

“Oh my god.” Ali said as she rushed over. “I am so so sorry.” Ali apologized as she scooped Elijah into her arms. The boy was suddenly far less energetic than he was a minute ago.

Ali then looked up at the man Eli had ran into and immediately recognized him. He was tall with black hair and a dark tan. He was also Ali’s high school boyfriend. “Danny?”

“Ali!?”

“Yeah, wow. Long time no see.” Ali said awkwardly.

“Tell me about it. You look great.” He commented as he let his eyes skim over Ali quickly making her uncomfortable.

“Thanks.” Ali responded with a tight smile and began looking around for her mother as a means of escape. Debby finally caught up with them and recognized who Ali was talking to and came over.

“Hello, Daniel.” Deb greeted.

“Hey, Mrs. Krieger. It’s great to see you again.” He smiled.

“It’s good to see you again also. It’s been several years. How are your parents?”

“They’re doing well. I think my mom is just ready for me to settle down.”

Deb laughed, “I bet she keeps nagging you about grandchildren, right?”

“Yes! That’s on the top of her list.”

“I bet. I kept bugging Ali until Elijah finally came along.” Debby said as she reached over and ruffled Eli’s hair.

Danny looked back to Ali with wide eyes. “This is your son?”

Ali nodded, “Elijah. He just turned four.”

“Wow, I had no idea. I should have pieced it together when I saw you running after him. I just…I just didn’t know. I mean WOW! Weird to think one of us has a kid.”

Ali was trying hard not to roll her eyes, “Not too weird considering we’re almost thirty, Danny.”

Danny nervously laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Guess not. Anyway, it was good seeing you both. Or I guess I should say the three of you.” He said with a small wave at Eli that Eli had no interest in retuning.

“It was good to see you too, Daniel.” Ali said with an honest smile. “And I’m sorry about Eli running into you.”

“No problem. Glad I was there to catch him before he fell.” He then nodded his head at the two women and walked off.

Ali let out a laugh as soon as he was out of earshot. “Oh, thank god you showed up when you did!” Ali said to her mom. “That was so awkward.”

Deb slightly laughed herself, “I’m just looking forward to the call I’ll get from his mother when he tells her that you have a child. And I’m looking forward even more too proudly tell her that you’re gay! That should really throw her for a loop.”

Ali laughed and linked her arm with her mother’s as they continued their shopping, Elijah resting on her hip.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn was proud to say that she made it to the 11th hole without having to talk to Ali’s dad about anything other than soccer, football, television shows, and the game they were playing. She would have continued her streak if Ken hadn’t have decided to start asking questions.

“So how is this thing between you and Ali going to work?” he asked.

Ashlyn looked at him with a confused expression on her face, “What do you mean?”

“I mean that your son is calling Ali his mother, but I want to know exactly how official things are between you two.”

Ashlyn looked him in the eye. “I think everything is very official. I love your daughter. I plan on spending the rest of my life with her. He is no longer my son. He’s our son. And if our relationship wasn’t going to be something lasting then I wouldn’t have allowed this to involve my son so deeply.”

“And is Ali going to adopt him as her own?” Ken asked skeptically.

Ashlyn nodded, “I feel like that would be a step we would take, but I feel there is one more step I would like to take with Ali before we do that.”

Ken raised an eyebrow at Ashlyn, “And what would that be?”

“I want to marry her.” Ashlyn said confidently.

“Are you asking permission?” Ken asked, squinting his eyes at Ashlyn.

Ashlyn shook her head, “No, not yet. But I will one day, and believe me, you’ll know when I’m asking.”

Ken stared at her for a moment, and Ashlyn let out a huge breath in relief as she watched Ken nod his head in approval of her words before squaring himself to the tee and taking a swing.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“MAMA!” Eli squealed as Ashlyn and Ken came walking through the door.

“Hey, little man.” Ashlyn said as she picked him up in her arms. “Did you have a good Ali and Elijah day?”

Elijah shook his head. “It wasn’t Ali and Eli day, mama. It was grandmama, mommy, and Eli day.”

“Oh yes, of course. Silly me.” She said, placing a kiss to his cheek and setting him on the ground.

Ashlyn then plopped down on the couch next to Ali, tossing her arm over her girlfriend’s shoulders.

“Ewwww! You’re sweaty!” Ali squealed as she squirmed away from Ashlyn.

Ashlyn pulled her back, not letting her leave. “But you love me anyway.”

Ali sighed knowing she wouldn’t get away from Ashlyn’s grasp. “Of course I do. So how was golf with my dad?”

“It was good. Missed you though.”

Ali giggled, “You were gone for like 5 hours, babe.”

“Still too long without you.” Ashlyn said as she nuzzled her head into Ali’s neck.

“What is making you so sappy?” Ali smirked.

Ashlyn smiled into Ali’s neck, “Your dad and I had a really good conversation about mine and yours future together.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. And I can’t wait for our future.” Ashlyn said before placing a kiss to Ali’s lips.


	21. Chapter 21

~~ End of August ~~

It was towards the end of the season when Ali was able to have her first game back with the Spirit after injury, and she was playing fairly well. Ashlyn was probably watching her too closely and should have been paying more attention to her goal keepers than her girlfriend but she couldn’t help but be worried.

There was a moment when Ali took a tackle that Ashlyn was about to run out on the field to check on her until Ali finally stood up.

After the game they gave each other a quick hug and parted ways to greet other people. They had played and lost to Sky Blue. It was an away game so they were in New Jersey. Christie found Ashlyn once the game was over and came over to her.

“Hey, did you bring your own car up here or did you guys ride the bus?” Christie asked Ashlyn.

Ashlyn laughed, “Drove. I couldn’t imagine making those women put up with Elijah on a bus for three hours.”

Christie laughed with her, “I know what you mean. So why don’t you guys join us for dinner tonight?” Christie asked. “Kelley and Jill are coming. And Jill has her nephew this week so Eli will have another boy to play with.”

“Sounds like fun but I need to ask Ali first.”

“ALI!” Ashlyn yelled to her girlfriend on the other side of the pitch.

Ali came jogging over, “What’s up?”

“I had invited you guys over for dinner.” Christie answered.

“That sounds great!” Ali told Christie before turning to Ashlyn. “Where’s Elijah?”

Ashlyn pursed her lips as she looked around for her son. “Over there.” She said pointing to Kelley and Eli playing with a soccer ball.

“Oh, perfect! I’m going to go get him.” Ali turned to Christie. “We’ll meet you at your house?”

“Yep!”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

The adults halted their conversation as Reece and Rylie came running into the living room screaming. Right behind them was Madden and Elijah chasing them.

“Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. Hold up kiddos. No running!” Chris called out to his daughters and the two boys.

The girls both stopped but the boys kept running.

“Elijah Samuel Harris! Stop!” Ashlyn said loudly and Elijah froze which caused Madden to go barreling into him sending both boys to the ground.

The adults all chuckled.

“Come here.” Ashlyn said softer as the boys stood to their feet. Elijah slowly came over to his mother, and Ashlyn picked him up and put him in her lap. “Why don’t you sit here for a minute until you calm down? You know not to run in a house.”

“Sorry, mama.” Eli whispered.

By this time Jill had Madden sitting at her feet, and both of the girls were sitting in the recliner with their dad.

“So will you be at the next national team camp, Kriegy?” Kelley asked starting the conversation up again.

“I hope so. My knee is feeling good and I played decent with the Spirit tonight, so we’ll see.” Ali said with a hopeful smile.

“Good! We need you back!” Christie said enthusiastically.

Ali laughed. “I’ll be happy to get back to 100%. That’s for sure. Just not too happy at the thought of leaving this little guy.” Ali said as she pulled Eli from Ashlyn’s lap into her own.

Eli looked up at her perplexed, “You’re going to leave me, mommy?”

Ali immediately panicked at Eli’s words. “No, baby. I’m not leaving you. I just might have to go play soccer sometimes which means I’ll have to leave you with mama until I come back.” She explained as she pulled Elijah in close to her.

“I don’t like it when you leave.” Eli said sadly.

“I know, handsome, but maybe you can come with me sometimes like Rylie and Reece do with their mama.”

Elijah nodded, still not in a complete understanding of what his mother was trying to say, and snuggled into Ali’s arms.

There was a quiet moment before Rylie spoke up, “Can we go play again if we promise not to run?”

“Sure. Just be careful.” Chris said as he let his daughters down and the two boys got up to follow them.

As soon as the last child had escaped the room all the women turned their attention to Ali and Ashlyn. “Since when does he call you mommy?” Jill asked what everyone else was thinking.

Ali shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “Since I got home from seeing the gold medal match in London.”

“And you just forgot to mention this to us?” Kelley said with a slap to Ashlyn’s shoulder.

“Ow! Not my news to tell, dude. That’s something special for Ali and Elijah.” Ashlyn defended.

“How is this working with you guys?” Christie, being the mother figure of the group asked.

“Equals. I want Ali to know and feel that she is as much his mother as I am.” Ashlyn answered honestly.

The other women nodded as if this was an acceptable answer and the conversation went quiet again until Kelley turned to the couple and asked, “So when are you two getting married?”

Ali and Ashlyn rolled their eyes.

~~ ~~ Week before Halloween ~~ ~~

“Mommy, can I get this one?” Eli asked as he pointed to a ‘surfer dude’ costume. The pack came with a mini inflatable surf board, swim trunks, and a pair of sunglasses.

Ali raised an eyebrow, “A surfer? Why do you want to be that?”

“To be like mama.” He said matter of factly.

Ali smiled as she picked up the costume package in Eli’s size. “Ok, but no telling mama. Let’s keep this a secret.” Ali instructed him with a wink.

~~ Halloween ~~

Ashlyn huffed as she sat down on the couch. Ali and Eli had locked themselves away in Eli’s room to get him ready to go trick-or-treating. They both refused to tell Ashlyn what costume he had picked out.

Ali finally came out of the room. She had her phone out, ready to take pictures. “Ready to see him?” she asked.

“Yes!” Ashlyn said exasperated.

“Elijah! Come on out!” Ali called.

Ashlyn had the biggest smile on her face when she saw her son. He was wearing blue swim trunks, a white bro tank, a pair of sunglasses and he was caring the inflatable surf board on his side. But what really made Ashlyn giggle was the temporary tattoos all down his left arm giving the appearance of a sleeve.

“Do you like it, mama?” Eli asked excitedly.

“Like it?” Ashlyn said as she stood up and pulled the boy into her arms. “I love it. What made you pick to be a surfer?”

“I wanted to be like you.” Eli answered with a beaming smile.

Ashlyn looked up at Ali questioningly.

Ali nodded, “That’s what he wanted. Although the fake tattoos were my idea. I thought it was cute.”

Ashlyn grinned, “It’s adorable.”

“Do you mind if I get a picture of you two together?” Ali asked, holding up her phone.

Ashlyn nodded and instructed Eli to flex his left arm like she was flexing hers. Ali laughed at the twinning duo as she snapped the picture and uploaded it to instagram, captioned: Like mother like son. My two loves are both rocking their tattoos tonight #HappyHalloween #TimeToGetCandy

~~ Thanksgiving ~~

Not much debate went into figuring out where they would spend Thanksgiving when the Krieger’s had readily agreed to spending Christmas in Florida with Ashlyn’s family. So Ali, Ashlyn, and Eli spent Thanksgiving at the Krieger house.

“Uncle Kyle!” Eli called out as the trio entered Ali’s parent’s house.

“Hey, Bud.” Kyle said as he scooped the boy up and threw him over his shoulder. Kyle then moved in to give Ali a hug and kiss on the cheek before also giving Ashlyn a hug.

“Can we go play on the swings?” Eli asked Kyle referring to the swing set that Ken had set up in the backyard for his new grandson.

“Sure.” Kyle said putting Eli on the ground, who immediately ran to the backyard. Kyle turned to Ashlyn and Ali, “I’ll catch up with you guys later.” He said before running after the four year old.

Both of the women chuckled as they moved into the kitchen to find Ali’s mom, grandmother, and two aunts.

Debby was at the stove enthralled in whatever task she was doing so Ashlyn came up behind her. “Hey Deb Deb.” Ashlyn said cheerfully as she wrapped the older woman in her arms.

Deb slightly jumped and all the women laughed. She playfully swatted at her daughter’s girlfriend. “Good god, Ashlyn, you scared me.”

“Sorry.” Ashlyn said with a cheeky smile before placing a kiss on Debby’s cheek and stepping away so Ali could give her mom a hug.

Deb pulled Ali in for a tight hug and asked, “So where is my grandson?”

Ali laughed, “Kyle already stole him.”

“But I just got finished making the chocolate icing for the cake. I was going to let him lick the spoon.”

“I could lick it for you!” Ashlyn chimed in quickly as she took a seat at the kitchen table next to Ali’s grandmother.

“You wish.” Ali replied as she grabbed the icing spoon and licked it herself.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn was sitting in a recliner watching a Thanksgiving Day football game on the tv when Ali came in the room. The men occupied all the other seats in the room so instead of asking one of them to move she sat on Ashlyn’s lap. Ashlyn chuckled as Ali snuggled herself into Ashlyn.

“Comfortable?” Ashlyn asked.

Ali smiled as she buried her head into Ashlyn’s neck. “Yep.”

“Where’s Elijah?”

“With my mom. She made the mistake of asking him what he wanted for Christmas. So now they are going through the list.”

Ashlyn chuckled and then they grew silent again before Ashlyn whispered in her ear. “You know, this time last year I was telling my family for the first time that I was dating you.”

Ali smiled, “Hard to believe. A lot has happened since then.”

“I know. But it has all been pretty incredible hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it has.”

“I’m glad. Because I’m going to spend the rest of my life with you, Alexandra Krieger. That is a fact that I will always be thankful for.”

Ali smiled before giving Ashlyn a quick kiss. “And I’m thankful for you and everything that has happened this year, even tearing my ACL. Because everything over the past year has led to this moment. A moment where I can sit in your lap and know that our son is in the kitchen talking with my mom. And that is incredible to me.”

Ashlyn smiled, “I love you, Alibean.”

“I love you too, baby.” Ali said before kissing Ashlyn again.


	22. Chapter 22

~~ December 23rd ~~

“Ash, you got the bike sent to your parents’ house, not here, right?” Ali asked as she continued to pack her suitcase.

“Yes! I even told Chris to look for it to be delivered sometime today or tomorrow. Stop worrying about it.” Ashlyn insured her girlfriend about the Christmas present they were having delivered for their son.

“Well, I wouldn’t be worried if you had ordered it when I told you to instead of waiting.” Ali replied with a bit of sass.

Ashlyn chuckled, “I’m sorry, princess. I was waiting to see if I could get it on sale.”

Ali rolled her eyes, “Yeah, well if it doesn’t get delivered on time then it will be your fault our son has nothing big to open on Christmas day.”

Ashlyn didn’t bother to respond. It was pointless to argue, Ali would win.

"Have you packed the cream for your hands? You know how dry your hands get when it’s a little cold.” Ali said as she moved over to Ashlyn’s nightstand to see if Ashlyn had packed it.

Ashlyn almost let Ali check until she realized which drawer Ali was reaching for. Ashlyn quickly reached out and grabbed Ali’s hand. “Yes! Yes, I packed it.”

Ali furrowed her eyebrows and looked down to Ashlyn’s hand grasping her wrist. “Ok. Chill, I was just checking.”

Ashlyn smiled, “I know. But no reason to. I packed it.”

Ali looked at her skeptically, “Is there a reason I can’t look in the drawer?”

Ashlyn gulped. “No.” she answered quietly.

Ali held Ashlyn’s gaze for a moment. She knew her girlfriend was hiding something but she decided not to push it. “Ok. Whatever. Finish your packing. I’m going to go pack Elijah’s bag. And hurry, we are meeting my parents and Kyle at the airport in two hours.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Ashlyn said before watching Ali exit the room.

Ashlyn let out a huge sigh as she double checked to make sure Ali was gone before opening the drawer that Ali had tried to open. She grabbed the small, blue, velvet box and quickly pocketed it. She then grabbed the hand cream that Ali hand been right to look for, Ashlyn had indeed forgotten it. She smiled at how well her girl knew her.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Mommy?” Ali heard as she felt a hand slightly tap her leg, slowly waking her from her sleep. She had taken the moment for a small nap when she noticed Eli fall asleep between her and Ashlyn on their flight to Florida. But now the boy seemed to be awake.

“Yea, sweetie?”

“I’m bored.” Eli said with a pout.

“Ok. Hold on.” Ali whispered before reaching into her bag and pulling out a coloring book and crayons. She then pulled down the tray for Eli’s seat and got him settled. She looked up to see Ashlyn smiling at her over Elijah.

“What?”

Ashlyn smiled wider, “Nothing. Just amazed at how prepared you are.”

“Well one of us has to be.” Ali retorted.

“True…Sooooo I never really got the chance to thank you for having your family come and spend Christmas in Florida.”

Ali quirked an eyebrow, “What do you mean? You don’t have to thank me for that. My family wanted to spend Christmas with us but they knew we would be spending Christmas in Florida. So they decided to tag along. Not a big deal.” Ali ended with a shrug.

“Yeah, but I guess I just can’t really get across what it means to have Elijah at my parent’s home for Christmas. He has spent every Christmas of his life at my parent’s house. Even his first Christmas, it was a few months after…” Ashlyn trailed off.

Ali reached over Eli and locked her hand with Ashlyn’s. “I know. And as far as I’m concerned we can have every Christmas at your parent’s house. It can be our tradition. All of our children can spend every Christmas at their grandparent’s house in Florida. Sounds like a nice idea to me.”

Ashlyn had a goofy grin spread across her face, “Our tradition. I like the sound of that.”

~~ That night at Ashlyn’s parent’s home ~~

Everyone had just finished eating a wonderful meal prepared by Ashlyn’s grandma, and Ali, Kyle, Ashlyn, and Chris were sitting on the back deck. Chris and Kyle each took up their own chair but Ali was cuddled into Ashlyn sharing a chair in the chilly night air.

“I’m cold.” The defender whispered into her girlfriend’s ear.

Ashlyn responded by pulling Ali in closer to her.

“No. I want a blanket.” Ali whined.

Ashlyn sighed. “Fine, princess. I’ll get you a blanket. Be right back.” The blonde said before placing a kiss to Ali’s forehead and going inside the house to fetch a blanket.

As soon as the door closed behind Ashlyn, Ali turned all of her attention to her two brothers. “So Ashlyn is hiding something from me.” She started.

Kyle and Chris both did a sideways glance at each other. How were they supposed to play this? They both knew what Ashlyn was hiding, and they knew it wasn’t bad.

“Do you think it’s a bad something or a good something?” Kyle finally asked, deciding to move the conversation in the direction Ali wanted it to go.

Ali sighed and buried her face in her hands. “I don’t know.” She mumbled. “She hasn’t hidden anything from me before. She’s always been straight forward with things. She wouldn’t even let me look in her nightstand drawer at home this morning. She acted really weird about it.”

Chris chuckled, “Maybe that’s where she keeps her Playboy magazines.”

Ali’s head shot up and her eyes went wide. “She reads that?!” she asked in panic. “God. I should have known. I’m nothing like those women. I don’t have boobs. I have too much muscle. She probably thinks I’m built like a man!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. I was joking, sis.” Chris comforted as he moved to put a hand on Ali’s shoulder. “You’re perfect and Ashlyn loves you and everything about you. Don’t ever think that girl wants you to change because she doesn’t.”

“Then why is she hiding something from me?” Ali asked desperately.

Chris looked to Kyle for help, and Kyle quickly came and knelt in front of his sister. “Look, baby girl, I’m sure it’s nothing. Remember that it’s Christmas time. Christmas is full of surprises and sometimes that calls for keeping a few secrets.”

“I don’t like secrets.” Ali pouted.

Chris and Kyle both chuckled and Ashlyn walked out of the house holding a blanket. “Hey, what’s going on?” she asked as she saw the two men huddled around Ali and Ali was struggling to put a smile on her face.

“Nothing.” Chris and Kyle called in unison and they moved away from Ali and back to their seats.

“Ok???” Ashlyn said in confusion as she sat back down next to Ali and draped the blanket across them. “Is that better?” Ashlyn asked the brunet.

“Much better.” Ali said as she snuggled back into her girlfriend.

“Good. So, while I was inside, I made plans for you to go with our moms and my grandmother shopping tomorrow.”

Ali frowned, “You made plans for me?”

“Yeah, I heard them talking about it and I told them you would probably like to go.” Ashlyn said with a shrug.

“Maybe I don’t want to go.” Ali said with some defense in her tone.

“Well, I think you should.”

Chris and Kyle both gave each other a look a look as if to say, ‘Ashlyn just stuck her foot in some deep shit.’ And they both got up quietly and went back into the house.

“What is with you today?!” Ali asked as soon as she saw their brothers leave.

“What do you mean? I was just trying to do something nice. I thought you might enjoy a day shopping.”

“It’s not just that, Ashlyn. I think you’re hiding something from me.”

Ashlyn panicked. Ali was upset with her and that was the last thing she wanted. “I’m not hiding anything, baby.” Ashlyn insisted.

“Then what was that awkward thing in the bedroom this morning?” Ali persisted.

Ashlyn didn’t know how to make this better. She hung her head knowing that she would have to admit to hiding something from her girlfriend. “Fine. I’m not hiding anything that’s bad.” Ashlyn mumbled.

Ali smirked in triumph. “Then why couldn’t you have told me that from the beginning? I rather you tell me that then let me think you are lying to me.”

“I’m sorry, babe. Won’t happen again. I swear.” Ashlyn said as she crossed her heart. “Are you still mad I made plans for you?” she asked shyly.

Ali sighed, “No, I’m not mad. But it will be Christmas Eve. The stores are going to be crazy with people picking up last minute Christmas gifts. I was just kind of hoping to spend the day lounging around the house basking in the fact that I already had all of my shopping done.”

Ashlyn giggled. “Well, I guess you don’t have to go. I was just thinking that it might be nice for you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Ali said placing a kiss to Ashlyn’s cheek. “I’ll go. It’ll be fun.”

Ashlyn smiled as Ali leaned back into her and they looked up at the stars.

Everything was working out. She just needed tomorrow to go well.


	23. Chapter 23

~~ Christmas Eve Morning ~~

Ashlyn walked Ali, Deb, her mom, and grandma to the car. They were about to spend the day shopping and Ashlyn was glad to get rid of Ali for a little bit. She walked back into the house and found Ali’s dad sitting on the couch. She took a deep breath before approaching him. “Hey, Elijah and I were about to go for a walk on the beach. I was hoping that you might join us.” Ashlyn said nervously.

Ken looked skeptically up at Ashlyn before nodding his head in agreement and following Ashlyn onto the deck and walking down the stairs to the sand.

They got a little ways down the beach with the only one talking being Eli, before Ken finally spoke up. “So you promised a few months ago that I would know when you were asking permission to marry Ali. Unless I’ve entirely misread this situation, I think I know what this is about.”

Ashlyn nodded. “Elijah, come here for a second.” She called to her son who was skipping a few feet ahead of her. Eli stopped and Ashlyn and Ken came to a stop beside him. Ashlyn looked back to Ken. “I wanted it to be the three of us when I asked.” Ashlyn said placing a hand on Elijah’s shoulder.

“Ok. Then go ahead.”

“You see, Sir. I’m not only asking you to give your daughter to me, but I’m also asking you to give her to my son. Mr. Krieger, I love your daughter, and I know my son does also. I would like your permission to marry Alex.”

“And you’ll make her happy? Keep her safe?”

“To the best of my ability.” Ashlyn swore.

Ken kept a straight face for a moment before he let out a small smile. “Then you have my blessing.” He bent down and picked up Elijah. “You both do.” He said ruffling Eli’s hair. “I know that the two of you make my daughter very happy, and Deb and I would be more than happy to officialy have you in our family as daughter-in-law and grandson.”

Ashlyn had a goofy grin come over her face. This conversation couldn’t have gone any better. “Thank you.”

“Do you know when you might propose?” Ken asked as he started to walk back towards the house with Eli still in his arms.

“Well…I was actually hoping to spend Christmas day as an engaged couple. So tonight?”

Ken raised an eyebrow at her, “More prepared than I thought you were. I’m impressed. So what’s your plan?”

“Well ————-

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Ashlyn!? Baby, where are you?” Ali asked as she came down the steps. Ashlyn gave their families a quick look as to assure that they all know what they are supposed to do.

“In the living room, Al! Just waiting on you to start decorating the tree.” Ashlyn called back.

Ali walked in and saw that everyone was in the living room. The tree was sitting in the stand and Chris and Mike were putting the lights on. “Oh, I didn’t realize we were ready to start. You should have come and gotten me.”

Ashlyn shrugged, “Its fine. I would have gotten you before we started putting on ornaments if you hadn’t shown up.”

“So how do you guys usually do this?” Ali asked as she sat in Ashlyn’s lap.

“Nothing to special.” Ashlyn’s mom answered. “We let the men put up the tree and the lights then we start with ornaments. We don’t go in any particular order.”

Ali nodded and leaned back into Ashlyn waiting for the lights to be finished. Once the lights were up, boxes of ornaments were dragged out and distributed. Ali and Kyle laughed hysterically at Ashlyn’s ‘baby’s first Christmas ornament’ that included a picture of the blonde as a baby. And then Ali cooed at the ‘baby’s first Christmas ornament’ of Elijah and helped Ashlyn hang it on the tree.

All of the ornaments had been hung and the only thing left was to put the star on top of the tree, which Ashlyn had informed Ali earlier that it had become tradition for her dad to lift Eli up and let him put the star on the tree. “Well, I don’t see any more boxes of ornaments.” Ali announced. “Does that mean the star goes on now?”

The rest of the family all gave a knowing smile as Ashlyn reached behind a pillow on the couch to retrieve one more hidden box. “Actually, I think we have one more ornament. And I think you should put it on the tree.” Ashlyn said with a smile as she passed the box to Elijah who took the box to Ali.

Ali gave Ashlyn a look of confusion with a raised eyebrow as she took the box from their son. Ali slowly opened the box and saw the ornament inside. It was hand painted with a portrait of Her, Ashlyn, and Elijah on it. Inscripted on the bottom were the words. “Harris Family 2012”.

Ali had tears form in her eyes as she ran her hand over the picture and the writing. The Harris Family. The three of them made a family. She looked up to thank Ashlyn for the ornament only to find Ashlyn bent on one knee infront of her. “Oh my god!” Ali gasped as she realized what was happening.

Ashlyn reached up to grab Ali’s hand that wasn’t holding the ornament and started, “Alex, I remember seeing you for the first time at that park in Chapel Hill. I had literally been thinking moments before about how different my life was because I had Elijah. And I had seriously wondered if maybe I hadn’t found the right person because I was worried about taking care of him instead of finding someone for myself. Then I met you, and I realized that the right person wasn’t going to be just somebody for me. The right person was going to be somebody for me and Elijah… And you’re it, baby. You took a mother and son who barely knew what we were doing and made us a family. You taught me and Elijah what it is to be a family. I love you, Ali. You are my life partner and the mother to my son. So…” Ashlyn said as took a deep breath and pulled the ring out of her pocket before continuing. “Alexandra Blaire Krieger, will you officially make our family whole? Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” Ali sobbed out as she pulled Ashlyn up and kissed her passionately. When they pulled away Ashlyn slipped the ring on Ali’s finger and Ali looked at it adoringly. “It’s beautiful, Ash.” She said with more tears streaming down her face.

Ashlyn smiled and used the pad of her thumbs to wipe away some of Ali’s tears. “Well, I hope you like it. Elijah helped me pick it out.”

Ali smiled and looked over to Elijah before motioning for him to come and join them. Eli came running over. Ali passed the ornament still in hand to Ashlyn and scooped the boy up in her arms as he reached her. “You mean that you two have been keeping this a secret from me?” Ali teasingly asked her son as she tickled his side.

Eli giggled, “its ok, mommy. Mama said it’s ok to keep secrets if they are good secrets.”

Ali laughed at the similarity of the conversation she had had with her brother. “Well, I love my ring. Thank you for helping mama pick it out.” Ali said as she kissed Eli’s cheek and set him down.

Ashlyn smiled and held the ornament back out to Ali, “So why don’t we get the last ornament on the tree so we can put the star on.”

Ali nodded and took the ornament from Ashlyn before placing it on the tree. As soon as the ornament was on the tree, Mike was hoisting Eli on his shoulders to put the star on and everyone else came to quickly wrap the two women in hugs and give their congratulations.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Once the commotion had settled down, everyone found themselves situated at different spots in the house with hot chocolate in their hands. The men had wandered off to Mike’s garage and the two moms and Ashlyn’s grandmother had stayed in the kitchen to give the little family of three some privacy.

The cookies had been laid out for Santa and they had settled down to watch a movie. “He’s asleep.” Ashlyn whispered in her fiancé’s ear as she nodded her head over to Eli curled up with a blanket on the floor and the ‘Elf’ movie playing on the tv.

Ali smirked as she placed a peck to Ashlyn’s lips. “Good. If we don’t have to wrestle him to sleep then we will have time for something else.” She said with a nip to Ashlyn’s ear.

Ashlyn’s eyes went wide, “god, Ali. With our whole family in the house?”

“I can be quiet.” Ali murmured as she kissed her way down the coach’s neck.

Ashlyn groaned. “Baby, as much as I want to, I don’t think now is the most appropriate time.”

“But I want to show you that I’m sorry.”

Ashlyn pulled back slightly confused. “Sorry? For what?”

“I got upset about you hiding something from me when it was obviously the proposal. I’m sorry. I should have trusted you.”

Ashlyn chuckled and pulled Ali in tight. “You don’t have to be sorry about that, princess. I should have found a better hiding spot for the ring.”

Ali laughed and playfully hit Ashlyn on the arm. “Fine. I’m not sorry, but I still want to fuck you.”

“Sshhh. Gosh, Als. There is a four year old asleep in the room. You can’t be doing this.”

Ali sighed as she sat back and snuggled into Ashlyn’s side. “Fine. But you owe me.” She said with a pout.

Ashlyn leaned down and kissed Ali’s pouting lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

~~ Christmas Morning ~~

“Mama! Will you teach me how to ride it?!” Eli shouted as he hoped on to the black bicycle with orange flames that had training wheels attached.

Ashlyn laughed and picked him up off the seat of the bike. “Sure thing, bud. But not inside the house.”

Eli pouted and Ali laughed. Ashlyn shot the defender a look, “Don’t laugh. He learned that pout from you.”

Ali giggled and came over to wrap her arms around her fiancé and son. “Well, atleast he learned how well it works on you and not me.” 

Ashlyn rolled her eyes and kissed Ali’s forehead.

“Hey! We need a Christmas day picture!” Ali said excitedly as she passed her phone to her mom. “Can you take it?”

“Sure, sweetie.” Deb said as she grabbed her daughter’s phone and took the picture of the three of them.

Ali smiled as she glanced down at her phone. The picture had all three of them in their pajamas. Ashlyn had one arm wrapped around Ali’s waist and she was holding Elijah in her other. Ali was turned into Ashlyn and she had her left hand placed on Ashlyn’s shoulder, showing off her ring. She uploaded the picture to Instagram and captioned it: First official Christmas as a family! #WeAreEngaged #MyLittleFamily #NewTraditions #MyTwoLoves She just let her 32,000 followers know that she was going to spend the rest of her life with the woman of her dreams.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter and the next chapter(or two) might be dealing with a sensitive subject for some people (alcoholism). If this is an issue for you then I am really sorry and feel free to talk to me about it, but it will remain in my story. Also, remember this fic is not based on real life. I do not know anything of people’s personal character or struggles. And I do not take the issue of alcoholism lightly.

“Congratulations!” Ali’s teammates yelled as she walked into the conference room to begin January camp.

Ali giggled and accepted all the hugs. “Thank you, ladies!”

“I didn’t realize Harris had it in her to get you, Kriegs.” Pinoe teased.

Ali laughed, “It was more the little Harris that got me than the big Harris.” Ali joked back.

Everyone laughed and Whitney yelled over the girls, “It was those blue eyes of his, wasn’t it?”

“Yes! They get me every time!” Ali called back.

“So when are we going to have a wedding to go to? Because I just bought this new dress that I am dying to wear.” Alex asked.

“Whoa, hold on! We just got engaged three weeks ago. We haven’t made any plans.” 

“I don’t care! I just better be invited!” Sydney called out.

Ali rolled her eyes, “You’re all invited. Trust me.”

The girls gave one more round of congratulations before they dispersed to their individual hotel rooms. Ali was rooming with Heather again and they headed to their room with Whitney and Tobin joining them. When they reached the room, Ali suddenly realized that she was surrounded by former teammates of Ashlyn.

“So Amy is pregnant. When do we get Krieger/Harris babies?” Heather asked.

“Whoa! What is it with you guys!? And where are the Werry babies, HAO? Plus, no wedding date has been set. There will definitely not be any babies right now. Besides, there is a Krieger/Harris baby. He just happens to be four years old.” Ali informed them.

“But doesn’t he want a baby brother or sister?” Whitney said as she wrapped an arm around her best friend’s fiancé.

Ali scoffed, “I don’t know and I don’t plan on putting the idea in his head.”

Whitney got a devious smile on her face at Ali’s words. “You’re right. You shouldn’t put the idea in his head. His favorite aunt will.” She teased as she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Ashlyn’s number.

Ali gasped and reached for Whitney’s phone, “Don’t you dare, Whit!”

Whitney quickly ducked from Ali’s grasp and ran to the other side of the room.

“Hello?” Ashlyn answered, and the whole room could hear as Whitney put the phone on speaker.

“Hey Ash!” Whitney said cheerfully.

“Hey, best friend. What’s up?”

“I was actually wondering if I could talk to my nephew.” Whitney said trying to keep from laughing at Tobin and Heather holding Ali back.

“No! Don’t let her!” Ali called out where Ashlyn could hear her.

Ashlyn laughed at the apparent struggle her fiancé was in. “What’s going on?”

“I need to convince your son that he needs a baby brother or sister.”

Ashlyn chuckled, “Any other day I would let you, Whit, because I totally agree. But I actually kind of need to talk to Ali. Could you take it off speaker?” Ashlyn said seriously.

“Sure.” Whitney gave a look of confusion and turned the phone off speaker and passed it to Ali.

“Hey, babe!” Ali said as she took the phone from her teammate.

“Hey, Al. Can you get by yourself?” Ashlyn asked quietly.

Ali’s face turned to concern and she quickly exited the room to stand in the hall. Her friends didn’t bother to ask her where she was going because they could tell it was serious.

“I’m alone now. What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure. I just…Have you talked to your parents lately?”

“Ummm, no. Why? What’s wrong?” Ali said with panic laced in her voice.

“I’m not sure.” Ashlyn said, clearly puzzled. “Your dad just showed up here and asked if he could stay the night. I’m not sure what’s going on.”

“Did he say they were having a fight?” Ali asked.

“He won’t tell me much of anything. I ordered pizza and he barely ate anything and then he insisted that he was fine just sleeping on the couch when I asked him if he wanted me to get the air mattress out.”

Ashlyn could hear Ali starting to get upset over the phone. “No, no, no. Baby, don’t get upset. I didn’t want you to freak out. I just thought you should know.”

“I can’t believe he messed it up again.” Ali sobbed out.

“What are you talking about?” Ashlyn asked with confusion.

“My mom has only asked him to leave the house once during an argument and it was because my dad drank even though he had been sober for years. He had to stay with Kyle for almost a month until mom took him back….Is he drunk?”

“Drunk? No. Ali, what’s going on? Is your dad an alcoholic?”

Ali nodded even though Ashlyn couldn’t see her. She was silent for a moment before she finally spoke. “That’s why Kyle had so many problems with addiction. I guess you can say it runs in the family.”

“God, Alex, I’m sorry, baby. Why haven’t you told me this before?”

“It has never been a big problem. He had been sober before I was ever born. The only incident of relapse that I ever heard of was the time he stayed with Kyle. I was living in Germany at the time, and by the time I came home for the holidays everything was back to normal.”

“What can I do? Tell me what you need.” Ashlyn begged.

Ali sighed, “Just let him stay as long as he needs. I’ll call my mom and see what’s going on. Could you just keep an eye on what alcohol we have in the house? If any goes missing then let me know.”

“Ok, baby. Are sure you’re ok? I didn’t mean for this to upset you.”

“No, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. I’m going to go call my mom.”

“Alright. I love you, Alex.”

“I love you too. I’ll talk to you later.”

Ali hung up and went back into the room. She handed Whitney her phone then grabbed her own. “Is everything ok?” Tobin asked.

Ali put a fake smile on her face. “Yeah. Everything’s good. I just need to call my mom.” She responded before heading back into the hall for some privacy.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Are you ok?” Ali asked as soon as her mom answered the phone.

“I’m fine, sweetheart. Why do you ask?” Deb responded.

Ali sighed in frustration, “Because Ashlyn just told me that dad showed up at our apartment asking to stay the night. What’s going on?”

“He went over there!? I told him not to bother Ashlyn and Elijah with you not there. He should have just gotten a hotel.”

“Mom, that’s not the point. I’m glad that he felt like he could go to our apartment. But I want to know why he’s there.”

Deb hesitated for a second before speaking, “He came home drunk. We got in an argument and I asked him to leave.”

“But Ashlyn said he was fine. He didn’t come to our place drunk.”

“That’s because I didn’t ask him to leave until he had sobered up. I didn’t want to send him out on the streets drunk.”

“So what am I supposed to do, mom? I’m in Florida. I can’t just come home and take care of this.”

“I know, sweetie. But I can’t tell you what to do. I can’t even look at your father right now because I am so furious with him.”

Ali sighed, “Fine. I’ll think of something. But if he tries talking to you don’t push him away. Bye, mama. I love you.”

“Love you too, baby girl. And tell Ashlyn thank you for helping your dad.”

“I will.” Ali said weakly and hung up the phone. She didn’t even bother to go back into the room before calling Ashlyn back.

“Hey, babe.” Ashlyn said as she answered Ali’s call.

“Hey. So I was right. He got drunk and my mom kicked him out.”

“God, I’m sorry. Does he need to go to an AA meeting or something? I could find him one in the area to go to.”

Ali huffed as she ran a hand through her hair, “I don’t know! Kyle put him in rehab last time this happened.”

“I could look for a rehab facility around here. I don’t mind taking him. I’ll even pay for it if I need to, babe.”

“No. He’ll be embarrassed if you take him. Heck, he would probably be embarrassed even if I took him. I’ll call Kyle. Maybe he can fly in and help. If he thinks dad should go to rehab then he’ll take him.”

“Are you sure? Do you need me to do anything else?” Ashlyn asked sincerely.

“No, I can’t think of anything. Just keep monitoring the alcohol like I told you to. I’ll let you know what Kyle’s plans are.”

“Alright. And everything is going to be fine, Alibean. I love you.”

Ali sighed in relief at her fiancé’s comfort, “I love you, too. And thank you so much for helping my dad.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Alex. He’s my family too. Call me if you need me.”

“I will. Bye.” Ali said hanging up the phone and breaking down into tears


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter and the next chapter(or two) might be dealing with a sensitive subject for some people (alcoholism). If this is an issue for you then I am really sorry and feel free to talk to me about it, but it will remain in my story. Also, remember this fic is not based on real life. I do not know anything of people’s personal character or struggles. And I do not take the issue of alcoholism lightly.

“Ashlyn?” Ken called out from the other side of Ashlyn’s bedroom door. Ashlyn had just finished showering and she needed to go and pick Kyle up from the airport soon. She quickly slipped her shirt and pants on and opened the door.

“Yeah?”

“I was wondering if I could take Eli to the park to play in the snow while you run your errand. I know you planned on taking him with you but I thought it might be nice to have some time with my grandson.”

Ashlyn paused in thought. There was a part of her that completely trusted Ken with her son, and then another part of her was questioning whether it was a good idea considering the reason Ken was there. Ali had instructed her to not tell Ken that Kyle was coming into town. He would only insist that he didn’t need him and get angry. Ashlyn was torn, her soon-to-be father-in-law was offering to watch his grandson because he thought Ashlyn just had to run to the store. He had never done anything that would make Ashlyn not trust him and he had been perfectly fine since he came to her apartment two days earlier.

“Ok. I’m sure he would like that.” Ashlyn finally agreed.

Ken smiled widely, “Great!”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn wrapped Kyle in a hug the second she saw him in the airport. “I’m so sorry, Kyle.” She whispered in his ear.

Kyle shook his head as he held her close. “No reason for you to be sorry. My father can just be an idiot sometimes.”

“Is your mom ok? Have you talked to her?” Ashlyn asked as she pulled away from the hug and started to walk towards her jeep.

“I talked to her yesterday. She’s pretty upset, she’s just tired of this type of shit. They dealt with it early on in their marriage and he really worked on getting sober when my mom found out she was pregnant with me. It was never an issue again until a few years ago.”

“Yeah, that’s what Ali was telling me.”

They both hopped in Ashlyn’s jeep and went in silence until Ashlyn’s phone rang. Kyle grabbed the phone so Ashlyn could focus on driving. “It’s my sister.” He told the blonde.

“Ok, you can answer it.”

“Hey, Alibean.” Kyle said answering Ashlyn’s phone.

“Hey, Kyle. I was just calling to see if she had picked you up.”

“Yep, we are driving pack to the apartment now.” Kyle informed her.

“Good! Can I talk to Eli? I haven’t talked to him yet today.”

“Ummm, he’s not with us.”

“What do you mean? Where is he?” Ali asked.

“I don’t know. Let me ask.” Kyle told her before turning to Ashlyn. “Hey, she wants to know where little man is.”

“He’s with your dad. They were going to play in the snow.” Ashlyn responded.

Kyle relayed the message to Ali.

“He’s with dad?! Put Ashlyn on the phone.” Ali demanded.

Kyle passed the phone to Ashlyn without saying anything. His sister was obviously pissed and he knew this was not about to be a pleasant conversation.

“Hey, babe.” Ashlyn said into the phone not knowing the extent of Ali’s anger.

“You left him with my father!!? You left him with an alcoholic!? What the hell where you thinking, Ashlyn? Actually, I don’t think you were thinking!” Ali yelled.

“Baby, calm down. He’s your dad. He’s Elijah’s granddad. They went to the park to play in the snow. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“I don’t care, Ashlyn! That is my son, and right now I do not trust my dad. I have never been around him when he’s like this? What if he’s violent or careless?”

“He’s been fine the past few days, Alex. Acting just like his normal self who you’ve always trusted before. He’s sober and I trust him.” Ashlyn said calmly.

“I don’t care if you trust him, Ashlyn. Get home to Eli and don’t leave him with my dad again. This isn’t open for discussion.” Ali said tightly.

Ashlyn sighed as she reigned in her emotions. She needed to think of what Ali was going through and be there for her. “Ok, I’m on my way home now. I won’t do it again. I’m sorry.”

Ali wiped at her tears and tried not to let Ashlyn hear her cry. “I know. I just….god, Ashlyn, I don’t know what to do. I feel like I should come home.”

“No! No, you can’t come home, baby. Kyle and I will handle this.”

“But my mom called during practice and left a message on my phone. She sounded really upset. I feel like I should be there for her.”

“Ali, camp only last three more days. You’re coming back from an injury. You need to stay there.”

“I feel so guilty though. I wasn’t there for my mom the last time this happened and I’m not there now.”

“Alex, listen to me. Kyle and I WILL handle this. You focus on you.”

Ali sighed, “Ok, I love you.”

“I love you too, Alexandra. I’ll call you later so you can talk to Elijah.”

“Alright, bye.”

Ashlyn hung up the phone and ran a hand through her hair. “Is your dad going to be ok with Elijah?” Ashlyn asked Kyle.

Kyle shrugged, “Yeah, he should be if he’s sober. But it’s best if we get home.”

“Good. Let’s just get home.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Uncle Kyle!” Eli called as he ran to Ashlyn and Kyle who had just walked into the living room.

“Hey, buddy!” Kyle said as he picked up the boy in his arms.

“What are you doing here?” Ken asked quickly as he saw his son.

“I’m here to help you, dad.” Kyle said passing Eli to Ashlyn.

“I don’t need your help. I just slipped up. I’ll apologize to your mom and everything will be fine.”

“An apology won’t fix this, dad. She mentioned a divorce.”

“A divorce!? That’s bullshit. It was a onetime thing. We’ll get through it.”

“You hit her, dad!” Kyle yelled. “You hit her! She wants a divorce!”

Ashlyn’s eyes went wide. No one had mentioned this to her and she knew that Ali didn’t know or she would have told her.

“No I didn’t! I would never do that!” Ken shouted at his son in disbelief.

Ashlyn quickly took Eli out of the room and to his bed room. “Stay here, sweetie.” Ashlyn instructed her son before heading back into the living room. When she came back into the room Kyle had Ken wrapped in his arms and Ken was in tears. Ashlyn’s heart broke at the sight of her fiancé’s father in tears.

Kyle eventually got his father to calm down and left him to his thoughts as he dragged Ashlyn out of the living room and into the kitchen. “What’s is going on?” Ashlyn asked as soon as they were alone. “Ali hasn’t said anything about your mom wanting a divorce.”

Kyle sighed, “That’s because Ali doesn’t know. Mom didn’t want to get her upset while she is at camp.”

Ashlyn bit her lip as she looked away from Kyle. This didn’t seem right to her. She understood why Kyle and Deb were keeping this from Ali, but it didn’t seem right. “I can’t not tell her, Kyle. She would be furious if she knew that I didn’t tell her.”

Kyle shook his head. “She’ll be home in a few days. Just wait to tell her.” he encouraged. “Besides, I’m trying to talk to my mom. I don’t think she is really serious about it. I think she just wants my father to see how bad he screwed up. There is no reason to tell Ali when there is a possibility that this might be over by the time she gets home.”

Ashlyn sighed, “Fine. But if it isn’t fixed by the time she gets home then I’m telling her immediately.”

“Fine. Play it how you want to when she gets back, just don’t worry her while she is at camp.” Kyle instructed before heading back into the living room to be with his dad.

Ashlyn took a deep breath as Kyle walked out of the kitchen and she ran a hand through her hair. It didn’t seem right to hide this from Ali, but she agreed that she didn’t want Ali upset when she was hours away from them.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter and the next chapter (or two) might be dealing with a sensitive subject for some people (alcoholism). If this is an issue for you then I am really sorry and feel free to talk to me about it, but it will remain in my story. Also, remember this fic is not based on real life. I do not know anything of people’s personal character or struggles. And I do not take the issue of alcoholism or divorce lightly.

Ashlyn and Ali road in a comfortable silence from the time Ashlyn picked her up at the airport until they reached their apartment. Ali quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to jump out of the jeep in her urgency to see her son when Ashlyn stopped her.

“Alex, wait.” Ashlyn said softly as she grabbed Ali’s hand to pull her back into the car. “We need to talk.”

Ali rolled her eyes, “Can’t this wait? I’ve had a rough week, and I really just want to see Elijah and snuggle up in bed with him during nap time.”

“And I know he is dying to see you too, sweetheart. But we need to talk and I don’t think we should do it inside with Kyle and your dad there.” Ashlyn said seriously.

Ali sat back in the seat when she noticed how serious her fiancé was. “What’s going on?”

Ashlyn took a deep breath and looked Ali in the eye to gauge her reaction. “Your mom wants a divorce.”

Ali’s eyes went wide in shock. “What!? No she doesn’t! She didn’t mention anything about it to me.”

“She told Kyle. She didn’t want to worry you while you were at camp. I’m sorry, baby.”

“How long have you known?! How long have you known and not told me?!” Ali yelled.

Ashlyn hung her head, “Three days.”

“And you didn’t bother to tell me?” Ali said, obviously hurt and confused.

“I would have told you, Alex, but there is more to it than that. Something I couldn’t tell you over the phone.”

“What?” Ali asked softly.

“Your dad hit your mom.” Ashlyn said slowly.

Ali broke into tears. “He did what?”

“He hit her. Slapped her, is what Kyle said. Your dad doesn’t even remember it, Ali. He feels so bad. He’s torn up about it, babe. He doesn’t know what to do.” Ashlyn tried to reason.

Ali didn’t bother to respond and was out of the jeep before Ashlyn could stop her. Ashlyn didn’t even grab Ali’s bag before chasing after her into their apartment. Ali whipped the door open as she entered the apartment making the picture on the wall shutter. She went straight into the living room to find her dad sitting on the couch and Kyle and Elijah playing a video game on the wii. “Kyle, take Eli to his room.” Ali said sharply, not bothering to look at the two of them but keeping her focus on her dad.

Kyle didn’t ask questions. He took the game controller out of Eli’s hand and started to guide him out of the room. “Mommy?” Eli asked as he and Kyle passed by Ali. The whole room saw Ali’s stiff shoulders soften at the sound of Eli’s voice. She bent down and placed a kiss to Eli’s head. “I’ll come see you in a minute, handsome. I need to talk to granddaddy for a minute. Go with Uncle Kyle.” She said softly, and Eli sadly accepted her reply before trudging out of the room.

Ali took a deep breath as she watched Eli leave then she turned back to her dad, her eyes full of anger and grief. “Get. Out.” Is the first thing she says.

“What?” Ashlyn questions before Ken had the chance to.

Ali doesn’t let her eyes leave her father as she answers Ashlyn’s question. “I want him out. He doesn’t deserve to be here.”

Ken stood from the couch and took a step towards his daughter, “Ali, baby girl, I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

The defender took an immediate step back. “No! Don’t call me that. You can’t HIT my mother then come stay in my home and act like everything is fine! I want you out!” Ali yelled.

Ashlyn came up behind Ali and grabbed her hand to get her attention. “Alex, let’s think about this. Don’t you think it’s better to keep your dad here?” she tried to reason. She didn’t think it was a good idea to send the alcoholic out onto the streets with no supervision and a broken heart.

“I don’t care, Ashlyn. I want him gone.” Ali said coldly before turning back to her dad. “Get out of my apartment. I don’t want you in my home. I don’t want you near my son. I. DO NOT. WANT YOU. HERE.”

Ken nodded sadly and grabbed his bag from the corner of the room before heading to the door without saying a word. Ali didn’t bother to look back at him before heading down the hall to Elijah’s room. Ashlyn followed Ken to the door. “She’s hurting. She doesn’t know what to think or how to act. Just give her time.” Ashlyn encouraged.

Ken shook his head, “I’m sorry. So so sorry and I don’t know how to explain that to any of them.”

Ashlyn sighed, “Look, I used to be the master of screw-ups. But having Elijah in my life showed me that I can change. And Ali never saw that side of me but my family did. And they saw me change and we are better now than we ever were before. It might take time but you can get through this.”

Ken nodded and moved in to give Ashlyn a hug, “Thank you. I know you were trying to convince Ali to let me stay because you’re worried about me. But I promise I’ll be fine. I’m going to get a hotel and I’ll let you know where I am staying.”

Ashlyn hugged him back before pulling away. “Good… Look, Ali and Eli are the two most important people in my life and you mean an awful lot to both of them. Don’t screw things up further than you already have.”

“I won’t.” Ken promised. Ashlyn followed him out of the building and helped him get a cab before heading to her jeep to get Ali’s bags. She walked back into her apartment and went to put Ali’s bags in their bedroom only to find Ali and Elijah snuggled in the middle of their king sized bed. She could see the tear stains on Ali’s cheek as she held their son close, Eli’s head buried in his mother’s chest.

“Hey.” Kyle whispered from behind her as she stood in the doorframe.

“Hi.” She whispered back.

“So my dad left?”

Ashlyn dryly chuckled, “More like your sister kicked him out.”

Kyle sighed, “I should be with him. I’m gonna call and see which hotel he found to stay at and then I’ll go stay with him. Besides, Ali just got back, the three of you need your time together.”

Ashlyn nodded, “Thanks. I think your dad really needs somebody.”

Kyle walked off and Ashlyn entered the room and climbed in the bed behind Ali, wrapping her arms securely around her and Eli

“Ashlyn?” Ali mumbled as she kept her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around their son.

“I’m right here, baby.”

“I’m scared.” She said softly, like a child.

Ashlyn closed her own eyes as she kissed the back of the brunet’s head. “I’m here. Whatever you need.” Ashlyn whispered.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn woke up before Ali and Eli and went to the kitchen to make something for dinner. She noticed a note on the table from Kyle informing them that he had gone to the Hampton Inn, that was located about 2 miles away, to stay with his dad. Ashlyn sighed in relief knowing that someone was watching after Ken. She then went to make her grandmother’s famous mac&cheese and she baked some chicken to go along with it. She knew that Ali liked it and she figured they could all use some comfort food.

Ashlyn almost had dinner ready when she felt two arms wrap around her waist and could feel a head snuggle in between her shoulder blades. “Hey.” Ali mumbled out.

“Hey, princess. I made mac&cheese.” Ashlyn informed her.

Ali hummed, “Sounds yummy.”

“It will be ready in a few minutes.”

“Good. I’ll go wake Eli up or we’ll never be able to get him to sleep tonight.”

Ashlyn chuckled in agreement and Ali walked out of the kitchen. She returned a minute later with Eli in her arms. He had his head resting on his mother’s shoulder and all of his light brown hair was sticking up on his head. Ali sat down at the table and put Eli in the chair right beside her. Ashlyn laughed as she came over to set the food on the table and noticed Ali trying to get Eli’s hair to stay down on his head.

“I think he needs a haircut.” Ali said as she ran her hands over her son’s hair one more time in an attempt to get it to stay down.

“Maybe Kyle can cut it while he’s here. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

Ali nodded, “I’ll ask him.”

They served their plates and Ashlyn cut Eli’s chicken into small pieces before eating her own dinner. There was a comfortable silence, but Ashlyn could see Ali was trying to keep herself together. She figured that if Elijah wasn’t there then her fiancé would have already broken down.

After dinner, they watched tv as Eli played on the floor. Ali was quick to volunteer to help the boy with his bath and get him to bed, and Ashlyn figured it was because she was avoiding having to talk about everything.

They were lying in bed, trying to go to sleep themselves when Ali finally started a conversation. However, it wasn’t the one Ashlyn was expecting.

“I think we should get married in April.” Ali started.

Ashlyn’s forehead creased in confusion as she leaned over to turn the lamp on. “What?”

“I want to get married in April.” Ali said simply.

“Of next year?” Ashlyn questioned. “Because I know that you don’t mean you want to plan a wedding in three months.”

“No, this year. I want to get married at the beginning of April before the season starts.”

Ashlyn laughed, “There is no way. And I also don’t think now is the right time to be making plans for this.”

“Now is the perfect time. My parents getting divorced has shown me how fragile relationships can be.”

Ashlyn sat up in the bed, almost insulted by Ali’s words. “I don’t think that’s a good reason to go ahead and get married.” The coach argued.

Ali laughed with no humor in her tone. “Don’t you get it, Ash? The marriage that I looked up to, the marriage that I thought was perfect, crumbled in the matter of a night.”

“But we aren’t your parents, Alex.” Ashlyn responded.

“What makes us so different?!” Ali slightly yelled.

“Look, Ali, none of the things you are listing off sound like a very good reason for us to get married in three months. If anything, you’re proving to me that you’re not ready. If you think that our relationship is so fragile that we should hurry and get married so we can spend as much time together as possible before we get a divorce, then you and I have two very different views on marriage.” Ashlyn defended as she started to become upset.

“You don’t get it!” Ali yelled as she sat up in the bed to be even with Ashlyn. “If my parents can fall apart that easily then who is to say that we can’t?!”

“I say that! I say that isn’t going to happen to us. You know why? Because those aren’t going to be the problems we face, Ali. I’m not going to lay a hurtful hand on you, ever. It won’t happen. And I’m not going to let you go, ever. Twenty years from now, Elijah isn’t going to find me knocking on the door asking if I can stay the night because you kicked me out. Because I’m going to be standing outside the house, banging on the door, waiting for you to forgive me for whatever stupid thing I did. And do you know why I’m going to do that?!” Ashlyn asked, but didn’t give Ali time to answer. “Because I love you. Because I can’t live without you. And I’m not saying that your parents don’t love each other, but they’re not us, babe. They Are Not Us. We won’t end up like that.”

Ali was in tears by the end of Ashlyn’s rant. She quickly went from being beside Ashlyn to straddling her lap and burying her face in the blonde woman’s neck. Ashlyn held her close and ran soothing circles over her back. “Sssshhh, baby, its ok.”

Ali sobbed, “No, it’s not. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I doubted us, but I’m so freaking scared, Ashlyn. What if my parents actually get divorced?”

“Then I’ll help you through it. And we’ll help your parents through it.” Ashlyn stated simply.

Ali let all of her weight down on Ashlyn as she gave up trying to be strong. Ashlyn held her close and moved them to a lying position with Ali still on top of her and switched the lamp off. “Why don’t you get some sleep, baby?” Ashlyn whispered in Ali’s ear.

Ali nodded against Ashlyn chest. “Ok. But just so you know…I still want to get married in April.” she admitted quietly.

Ashlyn lightly chuckled as she placed a kiss to Ali’s hair, “Ok, sweetheart. Why don’t we talk about that more later when you’re in a better frame of mind?”

“Alright, goodnight. I love you.” Ali mumbled out.

“I love you too, princess. Goodnight.”


	27. Chapter 27

~ Three days later ~

Ashlyn walked into her apartment to find Kyle cutting Eli’s hair in the kitchen. She laughed as she saw a garbage bag with a hole cut out of the bottom draped over her son to keep the hair off his clothes. “Hey, looking good.” Ashlyn said as moved to the fridge to get a water bottle.

“Thank you.” Kyle and Eli replied in unison and Ashlyn laughed.

“Where’s Ali?” Ashlyn asked as she noticed her fiancé wasn’t in the kitchen.

“She ran off to the bedroom to get something.” Kyle informed her. “Oh, and you’ll be happy to know that at the moment my mom and dad are at a couple’s counseling session.”

“Really!?” Ashlyn asked in shock.

“Yep. My dad called and made an appointment yesterday and asked my mom if she would go. Surprisingly, she agreed.”

“That’s great.” Ashlyn said honestly.

“I found it!” Ali cheered as she walked back in the kitchen looking down at a binder that was filled with papers. She looked up to see Ashlyn and smiled. “Hey, babe! We were just talking about the wedding!” Ali said excitedly as she came over to Ashlyn and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

“Wedding?” Ashlyn asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ali giggled, “Yes, our wedding, silly. I don’t have much time to plan, but luckily I was able to find my Dream Wedding Binder. It has all my ideas in it.” She set the binder on the table and flipped it open. “Kyle and I were just talking about flowers. I figured you and I could go sometime this weekend to see what venues are still available for the first weekend in April.”

Ashlyn didn’t know what to think. Hadn’t they decided to wait? “Ummm, baby, why don’t we stop to talk about this before we go making plans?” Ashlyn said as she came to stand beside Ali.

“What do you mean?” Ali asked in confusion.

“Well, didn’t we say that we would talk about having the wedding in April? I don’t remember exactly agreeing to it.” Ashlyn said softly, treading carefully to not upset Ali.

“Well, the only reason you wanted to wait was because of my parents. But they’re getting back together now, so I thought we could move forward with our plans.”

Ashlyn sighed as she brought Ali into her arms and rubbed her back, “Ali, baby, just because your parents are going to counseling doesn’t mean that your mom doesn’t still want a divorce.”

Ali shook her head and pulled away from Ashlyn. She turned back to her binder with a smile on her face. “No negative thoughts! Only positive ones around here. Like wedding planning!”

Ashlyn tried not to smile at Ali’s cheerfulness but she couldn’t help it, Ali’s smile was contagious. However, Ashlyn still thought that Ali was being delusional about the whole thing. She didn’t see her soon-to-be-in-laws’ issues going away that fast, but she would support whatever Ali wanted to do at the moment. She was afraid that if she didn’t show support in the wedding planning that Ali would get upset.

“So do I get a say in the wedding plans or are we going strictly by your dream book?” Ashlyn asked with a teasing smirk.

“Ofcourse you get a say. Why don’t you go get your dream wedding binder and we will compare.” Ali joked, knowing that her fiancé wouldn’t have something as girlish as a wedding binder.

Ashlyn faked a laugh. “haha. Why don’t I just tell you the ideas I got up here.” Ashlyn said pointing to her head.

“Oh I would love to hear those.” Kyle said with a laugh.

“Well, for one, I would like a baked potato bar. You know, where the guest can get a potato and put all the toppings they want on it.”

Kyle laughed as he continued to trim Eli’s hair. “Of course that would be your idea. You go straight to the food.”

Ali giggled and wrapped her arms around Ashlyn’s waist and looked up at the blonde, “I think it sounds like an…interesting idea.” Ali said with a smile. “If that’s something you want at the reception then we’ll have it.”

Ashlyn beamed and stuck her tongue out at Kyle. “See, Ali agrees with my idea.”

Kyle rolled his eyes, “She has to compromise with your ideas. She’s marrying you.”

Ashlyn scoffed then turned back to Ali. “And how about instead of having two bride decorations on top of the cake, we have two soccer players.”

This time Ali laughed before Kyle had the chance. “I am not having a trashy looking wedding cake, Ashlyn Harris. It just isn’t happening.”

Ashlyn pouted. “Fine, but Elijah is going to be my best man.” Ashlyn added.

Ali looked admiringly up at Ashlyn and leaned in to give her a slow kiss. She pulled away from the kiss but kept Ashlyn close. “I think that is best idea you have come up with.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

About an hour later, Eli was playing with his cars with a fresh new haircut and Ali, Ashlyn, and Kyle were sitting in the living room talking over more wedding plans. Ali was getting more and more excited by the minute.

There was a knock on the apartment door and Ashlyn hopped up to go answer it. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Ali’s mother. “Hey, Deb Deb!” Ashlyn said excitedly as she pulled the woman in for a hug.

“Hey, Ashlyn. You mind if I come in?”

“Not at all. We were just hanging out.” Ashlyn said as she led Debby into the living room.

“Grandmama! Look!” Eli called out as he came running up to Deb and held out a new toy car to her. “Mommy got it for me when she was in Florida.” The boy informed his grandmother.

Deb smiled and inspected the toy that the boy was so fond of. “It’s very nice. I bet you’re going to have a lot of fun playing with it.”

Eli nodded excitedly and ran back to his other cars to continue playing. Debby smiled and went over to the couch to sit between her two children. “Did he get a haircut?” Debby asked.

“Yep. Kyle took the scissors to it this morning. He did a good job.” Ali said as she gave her mom a side hug and laid her head to rest on the older woman’s shoulder. “So how was your session with dad?”

Deb shrugged, “It was good I guess. We got to talk without arguing, so that was nice. He really doesn’t seem to remember hitting me.”

Kyle and Ashlyn both nodded in agreement. “He doesn’t.” Kyle voiced.

“Well, for now, we both promised to try. He isn’t coming home, but he is going to move to a hotel closer to our house. He’ll also start attending AA meetings again. He hasn’t gone to one in years and I think it will be good for him.”

“So no divorce?” Kyle asked carefully.

Deb shook her head, “Not at the moment. But he knows not to screw up again because I already have the papers ready to go.” She ended with a chuckle.

Ali smiled wide and looked over at her fiancé, “See Ashlyn, wedding plans are still a go.”

Ashlyn rolled her eyes and Deb raised an eyebrow, “Wedding plans? Have you picked a date?”

Ali nodded enthusiastically, “First weekend in April! We were talking over plans when you came in.”

“Wow, so do your dad and I get to help or are you just going to tell us when and where to show up?”

Ali’s smile slightly faltered, “Well, YOU are welcome to help. I’m still mad at him though.”

Deb sighed, “Alex, your dad loves you, and he loves me. I honestly believe now that it was an accident. Your father isn’t your father when he drinks. Give him a chance.”

“Why should I?” Ali asked in a defensive tone. “Why should I put a man that hit my mother around my son or any other children Ashlyn and I have? What assurance do I have that the next time he screws up he won’t show up here drunk and hurt my family?”

Ashlyn came over to the couch now and knelt infront of Ali grabbing her hands. “Alex, your dad will never do anything to hurt you or our children. I can promise you that because I will always be here to make sure of it. But besides trusting me to protect you, you also have to give your dad a chance.”

Ali didn’t respond but looked down at her and Ashlyn’s intertwined hands.

“Don’t you want dad to walk you down the aisle, Alibean?” Kyle asked as he came into the conversation.

Ali sighed, “Of course I do. That doesn’t mean I have to trust him.”

“Fine.” Debby said. “Don’t trust him. Love him. Love him unconditionally, just like family should.”

Ali looked up at her mom. “Is that what you’re doing?”

Deb nodded. “It’s what I have to do.”

“Ok, fine. I’ll be nicer to him. But that doesn’t mean I want him left alone with Elijah anytime soon.”

The other three adults in the room all smiled and nodded in agreement. “Oh, by the way, he’s in the car. He’s waiting for me. We were going to try and do lunch so we could talk some more.”

“What? Why didn’t he come in?” Ashlyn asked in confusion.

“Well…” Deb gave a knowing smile to her daughter. “He said he would wait outside because he didn’t think he was welcomed here.”

Ali gave a sheepish smile. “Yeah, that would be my fault. I’ll go talk to him.” She said as she stood up from the couch and headed out of the apartment.

As soon as Ali had walked out Deb turned to Ashlyn. “So, is she in bridezilla mode yet?”

Ashlyn laughed, “No, but I have a feeling that it’s coming if she is really going to try and plan a wedding in three months.”


	28. Chapter 28

Ali hung up the phone in frustration. “That’s it! I give up! We’re going to have to get married at the courthouse.” The defender announced as she plopped down on the couch next to Ashlyn.

Ashlyn laughed and slung an arm around her fiancé, “And why is that?”

“Because there is not a single place in a 45 minute radius that has the first Saturday in April open.”

Ashlyn chuckled, “Well I could have guessed that. April is a popular wedding month. But I don’t think that means we have to get married at the courthouse, babe.”

Ali scoffed, “And where do you propose that we get married? Because I’m fresh out of ideas.”

Ashlyn shrugged, “Well, there is always my parent’s house. It’s on the beach. And the back-up plan in case it rains could be my Uncle’s restaurant.”

Ali’s jaw dropped. “That is the best idea that I think you have ever come up with!” Ali exclaimed as she kissed Ashlyn quickly. “Why didn’t you mention it before?!”

The blonde shrugged again, “You never asked. When I was little I always planned to get married on the beach, but I figured you would want to get married somewhere near where you grew up and all your family lives.”

Ali shook her head in disbelief, “You are too good to me, Ashlyn Harris. I wish you would have told me from the beginning that you wanted to get married at the beach. I wouldn’t have minded.”

“Yeah, but I wanted you to have the wedding the way you wanted it.”

Ali reached out to grab her hand, “This is OUR wedding. I want your opinions, babe.”

“Ok. I won’t hide them anymore. So should I call my parents and make sure it’s ok?” Ashlyn asked.

“Yes! We need a place so we can get invitations made.”

Ashlyn giggled and pulled out her cell phone to call her parents.

~~ February 12th ~~

“I can’t believe we are wedding dress shopping for you! This is so freaking exciting!” Sydney said with a clap of her hands.

Ali, Whitney, and Heather all laughed at the younger woman’s excitement. Whitney had come into town for her bridesmaid fitting with Ashlyn, Heather had come for her bridesmaid fitting with Ali, and Sydney had tagged along from Boston with HAO just for the fun of it. Whitney had promptly ditched Ashlyn with Eli when Ali asked her if she wanted to go with them to look at wedding dresses.

“I’m just nervous about picking something Ashlyn will like. She likes simple and elegant more than big and flashy.” Ali said as they looked through a few selections that the tailor had brought in to show them.

Whitney snorted, “You do realize that you could wear a garbage bag on your wedding day and Ashlyn will still look at you like you hung the freaking moon.”

“Yeah! Plus shouldn’t your dress be something that you want to wear? Forget what Ashlyn likes, this is your chance to be a princess.” Sydney added.

Heather laughed and wrapped an arm around her fellow right side teammate. “Obviously those two have never been married. Yes, it is your wedding day and you should wear something that makes you feel beautiful, but I agree that you should take into consideration what Ashlyn likes seeing on you. It makes the dress more special. That’s what I did when I picked out my dress. I knew the moment that I saw THE dress that Dave would love it.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali had tried on four dresses before she came out of the changing room wearing a slim A-line gown with a sweetheart neckline and corset closure. Ali was in tears as she looked in the mirror, and Whitney was quickly by her side to check on her. “Hey, are you ok?”

Ali nodded her head. “It’s perfect. Ashlyn will love this one, and I love this one.”

 

Whitney smiled widely as she stepped back to admire the dress her best friend’s fiancé was wearing. Ali was right, Whit was sure that Ashlyn would love it. “You look beautiful, Ali.” Whitney said honestly. “You’ll take Ash’s breath away. I know it.”

Ali smiled sheepishly, “You think so?”

“I know so.”

Sydney hopped over to them ruining the moment between friends. “Great! So we found THE dress. Now it’s time to do some lingerie shopping.” She said with a devilish grin.

Ali rolled her eyes, “Fine. HAO, come help me get this dress off.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“I am not wearing that on my wedding night.” Ali said firmly as she looked at the red piece of lingerie that Sydney was holding up.

“Come on! Don’t be a kill joy. Ashlyn would die if she saw you in this.” Sydney argued.

Ali glared and Whitney laughed, “She has a point, Al. Ashlyn would love it.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that I’m not going to wear it on my wedding night. It’s to slutty looking.”

“How about Valentine’s day?” Whitney asked. “It’s just two days away. Then you can pick something else out for the wedding.”

Ali chuckled, “Ashlyn and I aren’t even doing anything for Valentine’s Day. We agreed on no presents because we are spending so much money on the wedding.”

“Just because you’re not giving presents doesn’t mean that you can’t have a little sexy time on Valentine’s Day.” Heather said.

“It does when you have a four year old in the house. You don’t really get to plan it out. You could literally be interrupted at any minute. Trust me, we know from experience.”

Sydney laughed, “That’s got to be horrible!”

“Oh, it is. One time we were right in the middle and Eli started knocking on the door. Ashlyn went to check on him and it turned out that he had thrown-up in his bed. He ended up having a stomach virus and Ashlyn and I never got to finish.”

Sydney made a disgusted face and HAO laughed hysterically.

“Well, I still don’t think you should count Valentine’s Day out.” Whitney insisted.

Ali rolled her eyes, “I’m not going to waste money on something I’m not going to get the chance to wear.”

Whitney sighed in exasperation, “What if I told you that you might have a chance to wear it on Valentine’s Day?”

Ali raised an eyebrow, “Do you know something I don’t know, Whitney Engen?”

Whitney adverted her eyes from Ali, “Ashlyn might have asked me to stay through Valentine’s Day in order to babysit Eli.”

“What!? She said no presents! I haven’t bought her anything!”

“And you don’t have to. Her thing isn’t really a present either. I think she just wanted some alone time with you. Which means….get the lingerie.” Whitney said with a wink.

Ali sighed, “Fine. But you’re sure she isn’t getting me a present? Because if she gets me a present and I don’t have anything for her than I’m going to be pissed.”

“No gifts. But even if she did, I think the lingerie would be enough of a gift in return. Don’t ya think?”

~~ Valentine’s Day ~~

Ali came in the apartment that morning from a run. She spotted Whitney and Eli playing on the floor of the living room and informed them that she was going to take a shower. When she came out of the bathroom she saw Ashlyn packing two suitcases. Ashlyn grabbed some of Ali’s underwear and went to put them in a suitcase.

Ali giggled and leaned against the doorframe wearing only a towel. “Why don’t you pick your favorite pair and I’ll wear them.”

Ashlyn smiled to herself, picked up a black lace thong, and tossed it to Ali.

Ali dropped the towel and went to slip on the thong. “Do you have a bra choice for me also?” Ali asked as she came to stand by a now red-faced Ashlyn.

Ashlyn took a deep breath and looked through Ali’s bras before finding one that matched Ali’s thong and passed it to her.

“Do you want to help me put it on?” Ali asked seductively as she held the bra back out to Ashlyn.

Ashlyn smirked, “Alex, I think you and I both know that the bra would never make it on you if it was my job to put it on you.”

Ali giggled in agreement and slipped the bra on. “So what’s with the packing?” Ali asked as if she didn’t know that Ashlyn had something planned.

“A weekend away with my beautiful fiancé to celebrate Valentine’s Day.”

Ali smiled and wrapped her arms around Ashlyn, still only wearing her thong and bra. “And are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asked as she began to kiss the blonde’s neck.

Ashlyn smiled and wrapped her arms around Ali in return. “Nope.” She said popping her ‘p’ and giving Ali a quick peck on the lips before pulling away, and Ali let out a frustrated groan.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali finished getting dressed and Ashlyn finished packing their bags. Ali slipped her ‘surprise’ for Ashlyn into her bag when she wasn’t looking. They told Whitney and Elijah bye, both telling Whitney ‘thank you’ for watching Eli for the weekend and headed out to the car.

“Do we have to leave him?” Ali whined as she watched Ashlyn pack their bags into the jeep.

Ashlyn laughed, “For what I have planned? Yes, he needs to stay at home.”

“But he wasn’t even sad that we were leaving. Is he not going to miss us?” Ali sulked.

Ashlyn closed the trunk and led Ali to the passenger side of the vehicle. “Would you rather have him crying as we walked out of the door?”

Ali sighed, “No, I guess not.”

“Exactly.” Ashlyn said pecking the defender’s cheek and closing the door as Ali got in.

Three hours down the road, Ali had pulled Ashlyn’s snapback off her head and was currently wearing it on her own, she had her feet propped up on the dash, and her water bottle was empty. She was also tired of flipping through radio stations and decided to ask Ashlyn one more time where they were going to see if she would tell her. “Alright, we’ve been going south for three hours. Where are you taking me?”

Ashlyn smiled and decided to tell her since they were almost there and Ali was obviously bored. “Chapel Hill.”

Ali looked at her confused, “How come? I mean, not that I’m complaining, but why?”

“Well, for starters, I thought it might be appropriate to have our last little bit of alone time before we get married at the place we first met. Secondly, I have something I need to do there.”

“Something to do? Like what? I swear to god, Ashlyn Harris, if you are using our Valentine’s Day to scout a player then I will disown you.”

Ashlyn laughed, “No, nothing like that. It’s a personal thing.”

Ali quirked a questioning eyebrow in the coach’s direction but decided not to question what ‘personal’ thing Ashlyn had to do.

They arrived at their hotel and got settled in. Ashlyn, being ever the romantic that she is, ran to the store and got some things to do a makeshift picnic. She then drove Ali to the park they first met. It was predictable but Ali didn’t mind.

After their picnic, Ashlyn cleaned everything up and took it back to her jeep. However, when Ali started to get back into the jeep Ashlyn stopped her. “Wait, I have one more thing that I want us to do.”

Ali furrowed her brow in confusion but took Ashlyn’s hand anyway and followed her. They walked for about 10 minutes before Ashlyn stopped infront of a cemetery.

“What are we doing?” Ali questioned as she held on to Ashlyn a little tighter.

“I want you to meet someone.” Ashlyn said before entering the cemetery and going directly towards a certain headstone as if she had been there a hundred times before. When they stopped, Ali looked down at the headstone they were standing infront of.

Rebecca Price

1985-2009

Ali squeezed Ashlyn’s hand tightly in her own and Ashlyn looked down and smiled at her.

“This might seem really awkward and kind of strange, but I felt like it should be done. You know? Becky should see the incredible woman that is helping me raise her son.”

Ali shook her head. “No, not strange. I think you’re right.” Ali said as she let go of Ashlyn’s hand and sat on the grass beside the headstone. “So tell me about her.” She instructed and she motioned for Ashlyn to sit beside her.

“Well,” Ashlyn started as she sat down and leaned back on her hands. “For starters, you know that cute little giggle that Elijah does when you tickle him?”

Ali beamed at the mention of the cute sound their son makes. “Yes! It’s adorable.”

“Yeah, well, he gets that from Becky. The team always had the best time teasing her just to make her laugh.”

Ali smiled and rested her head on Ashlyn’s shoulder. She enjoyed learning new things about Becky, she felt it gave her more insight on the things she loved most about Elijah.

“What else?”

Ashlyn paused for a second in thought. “You know how I only call Elijah, Elijah? I never call him Eli.”

Ali laughed, “Yeah, I might have noticed. What’s the story behind it?”

“I used to call him Eli, but Becky insisted that he be called Elijah. She always got on to me and I would laugh it off and call him Eli anyway. When she died, I felt it was my obligation to make sure he was called Elijah by atleast someone. To make Becky happy.”

Ali pulled away slightly. “I didn’t know that.” She said quietly.

Ashlyn shrugged. “Can I tell you something that would mean a lot to Becky?”

Ali nodded, “Of course you can.”

“I’ve told you before that I lived with Becky and Elijah for the last month before she died. Well, during that time she told me to make sure that I’m happy. She honestly felt bad that I would have to take care of Elijah and that I wouldn’t be able to live my life like I had planned. She felt guilty, Alex.” Ashlyn said as she let a single tear escape. “And she died still feeling guilty. So, I wanted to bring you here to show her that I’m happy. That we are happy.” Ashlyn said honestly with more tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Ali quickly pulled Ashlyn into her arms and wiped at Ashlyn’s tears. “I love you. I love you so much, and thank you for bringing me here.”

Ashlyn buried her head in Ali’s chest and let her tears fall. Ali held her tight and rubbed Ashlyn’s back soothingly. “Hey, baby, sssshhh. It’s ok.”

Ali could feel Ashlyn shake her head against her. “No, it’s not. Everyday Elijah reminds me more and more of Becky but she’s not here. She’s not here, Ali, and it’s not fair. She doesn’t get to see the incredible little boy that Elijah has become.” she sobbed out.

Ali sighed and kissed the top of Ashlyn’s hair as she continued to hold her. “You’re right. It’s not fair. She doesn’t get to see him like this, and she won’t see him grow up to be the incredible man that I know he will be. But remember that she not only loved Elijah enough to give him to you but she loved you enough to give you Elijah. And I know that I will forever be grateful to the woman who left such an incredible little boy in your care for me to love.”

Ashlyn looked up with a small smile on her face, and Ali began to kiss every tear she saw on the blonde’s face. When Ashlyn finally sat up and dried all of her tears, Ali turned her attention to the headstone with Becky’s name.

She took a deep breath before speaking. “Hi, Becky. This might be a little awkward, but from the way Ashlyn describes you I know that you were an amazing person. I want you to know that I will love your best friend and your little boy for the rest of my life. And I can only hope that I can be what you wanted for Elijah.”

She finished talking and felt Ashlyn’s arms wrap around her waist and both of her legs go to Ali’s sides with Ali’s back pressed to Ashlyn’s front. Ashlyn kissed the defender’s shoulder and held her tight. “I love you, baby.” Ashlyn whispered in her ear.

“I love you too.” Ali whispered back.

They sat there for several minutes, both in their own thoughts. “Are you ready to go back?” Ali finally asked.

Ashlyn nodded against Ali’s neck and untangled herself before standing up from the ground and offering a hand to her fiancé. “Could you give me a moment?” Ashlyn asked softly.

Ali nodded and leaned in to place a quick kiss to Ashlyn’s lips before walking to the entrance to wait for Ashlyn.

Ashlyn watched Ali walk off before bending down infront of the headstone and placing a hand on it. “She’s perfect, Beck. I mean it. She is perfect for me, and she is perfect for Elijah. She loves your little boy so much, and she makes me happy. I’m going to marry her, Becky. And I hope that we will raise Elijah the way you wanted. I miss you…. You’re still my best friend.” Ashlyn whispered the last part then stood and met Ali at the entrance.

“Ready?” Ali asked, holding her hand out to Ashlyn.

Ashlyn nodded and accepted the hand before leading Ali to the car.

Ali decided to save her ‘surprise’ for the next night. Valentine’s Day was already perfect.


	29. Chapter 29

~~ First week of March ~~

“Ashlyn, are you listening to me?” Ali asked as she snapped her fingers in front of the camera. She was skyping with her family while she was in Portugal for the Algarve Cup, and she was nervous over the stuff that needed to be done for the wedding that she wasn’t there to do herself. She was tired and ready to go to take a nap after their game, but she was trying to talk to Ashlyn and Eli as they got ready for their day before she passed out.

“Yes, I heard you! I’m supposed to meet your dad for his tux fitting this afternoon. You already made the appointment and told your dad. Got it.”

“What else did I say?” Ali asked knowing that there was no way Ashlyn heard the second part or she would have responded to it.

Ashlyn sighed as she placed a piece of toast in front of Elijah. “I don’t know, baby. I’m a little busy right now. We are already running late because it took a century to get skype to connect this morning. Couldn’t you email me your list?”

“I know what you said, mommy!” Elijah piped up

Ali smiled. “Can you tell mama for me?” she asked her four year old little boy.

Eli looked up at Ashlyn with a toothy grin. “She said your clothes don’t match.” He told her before breaking into a giggle.

Ali laughed along with him and Ashlyn looked down at her clothes and indeed she was not wearing the shirt she had intended to wear with the pants she currently had on. Ashlyn groaned. “See, this morning just isn’t going so smooth. I miss having you here. When do you come home?” Ashlyn said with a pout as she positioned herself directly in front of the camera.

Ali chuckled, “And I miss being there, but I’ll be home soon. Promise.”

Ashlyn smiled and shook her head, “This is pathetic Ali. I don’t even remember how the two of us survived without you. What am I going to do when we have more children and you leave for games and camps?”

Ali rolled her eyes, “I don’t think you have to worry about that right now. Let’s just get through the wedding.” She was going to end there until she saw a look of… what? disappointment? across Ashlyn’s face. Ali sighed, “But…WHEN that happens, I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out. We might just have to start traveling as a family. Chris comes to a lot of our games to help Christie with their girls.”

Ashlyn smiled widely, this is the most talk she had ever really gotten out of Ali when it concerns them having more children. She liked the fact that Ali’s answer indicated that she had put some kind of thought into it before. “That sounds like a plan. Now, I’ll let you get some sleep, and I have to drop Elijah off before I head to the office. I love you, baby.”

“I love you too. Let me say bye to Elijah.”

Ashlyn turned the laptop to her son who was still munching on his toast. “Bye, handsome. I hope you have a good day. I love you.” Ali said as cheerfully as her tired body would let her be.

“Bye, mommy! I love you too. Come home soon.” Eli said as he pushed his toast aside and leaned in closer to the screen.

“I will, baby.” Ali promised as she blew a kiss to the camera.

Eli giggled and also blew his mother a kiss and shouted ‘bye’ as Ashlyn reached over to disconnect the call.

“Mama, do I get to get a suit like granddaddy for the wedding?” Eli asked curiously as he looked up at Ashlyn.

Ashlyn shrugged, “If you want one. But I thought you might just want to wear some khaki shorts and a white shirt like I’m going to be wearing.”

Ashlyn laughed as Eli seemed to be in deep thought over what he should wear to the wedding. “I want to dress like you, but can I have a tie like granddaddy?”

Ashlyn smiled. “Sure thing, little man. Now, go brush your teeth or we’ll be late.” She said, rushing him out of the kitchen.

She sighed as she placed his dirty plate in the sink and moved to follow him to the bathroom. She was ready for Ali to get back.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn was going through the ties the shop had to offer as Ken was being measured for his suit. Ali had given her specific instructions to match her dad’s tie with the light blue color of her bridesmaid’s maid dresses, and she was going through all the ties with the swatch of fabric Ali had left for her. She was being very meticulous about her mission because she knew Ali would ring her neck if she got the color wrong. She was fully concentrated on the ties when Ken walked out of the dressing room.

“So how do I look?” he asked.

Ashlyn quickly turned around, “Huh?”

Ken laughed, “I said how do I look.”

Ashlyn looked her soon-to-be-father-in-law up and down. He was wearing a light tan suit and all he needed was a tie. “Looking fly, Mr. Krieger.” She then picked up the tie that she decided matched best and brought it over to him. Without even asking if he needed help, she reached up and popped his collar before throwing the tie around his neck and starting to tie it.

“You think it will be Ali approved?” he asked as he let Ashlyn continue to do his tie.

Ashlyn shrugged. “I would usually say ‘yes’ but I’m not entirely sure anymore. I think bridezilla is starting to set in.” she said as she finished the tie, straightened it, and stepped back to look at him.

“Well, the wedding is only a month away. Her mother was the same way when we got married.” He informed the blonde as he examined himself in the mirror.

Ashlyn chuckled, “I can imagine. Speaking of Deb Deb, how are you guys doing?”

“Well, I’m still sleeping in the guestroom if that’s what you’re asking. But it’s better than having to pay for a hotel so I’m not complaining.”

“But how IS everything? Ali complains that neither one of you really tell her anything.” Ashlyn said, digging for a little more.

Ken gave Ashlyn a weak smile. “Honestly? I still think she’s scared of me, and if it wasn’t for her not wanting to worry Ali around the wedding then I probably wouldn’t even be living at the house right now.”

Ashlyn nodded in understanding. “I appreciate you guys not wanting to worry her, but if y’all can’t work it out then Ali would rather know than you hide it from her.”

“We’re not hiding anything from her. We really are trying to work it out.”

“Good. So how about you get changed out of this get-up, we pick up Elijah, then go grab some burgers.” Ashlyn suggested.

Ken agreed and went to go change.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Mama?” Eli called out into the dark room as he opened his mother’s bedroom door, sleepily rubbing his eyes.

Ashlyn immediately sat up in her bed and saw her son standing in the door. “What’s wrong, baby?”

Elijah slowly walked to Ali’s side of the bed and stood there. “Can I sleep with you?” he whispered.

“Of course.” Ashlyn said softly as Eli climbed on the bed and snuggled in beside her. “Is something wrong?” she asked knowing it was unlike her son to crawl in her bed, especially when Ali wasn’t there.

“I miss mommy.” He mumbled into Ashlyn’s chest and she wrapped her arms around him.

“She’ll be home in a few days, buddy.” Ashlyn tried to comfort her son.

“I know, but I love her. I like it when she’s here.”

Ashlyn smiled at the innocence of her son. She marveled at how children can and will say anything they think. He says that he loves Ali just as if he was telling her that his favorite dessert was icecream.

“You really do love her, don’t you?” Ashlyn asked and felt Eli nod his head against her.

Ashlyn sighed thinking of how this is the last time it will really be JUST her and Elijah. In a month, her and Ali will be married and bound to each other for the rest of their lives. And even though Ashlyn already felt as though she and Ali were completely committed to each other, the reality of being officially married hit hard as she held her little boy in her arms. She had raised him on her own for three years and she thought she had done ok. But now their lives were forever changed because Alexandra Krieger entered and made them a real family. She would never be alone again. She would never be described as a single parent again. They had Ali. Ali completed them. Made them a family.

She bent down and kissed the top of Elijah’s head before pulling him close as they both drifted off to sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

“Babe, guess what?” Ashlyn said excitedly as she came up to Ali, who was looking at her phone outside the Spirit locker room after a day of pre-season training.

Ali continued to look at her phone but managed to mumble a “what?” without looking up at her excited fiancé.

“I got Anson to agree to scrimmage us two weekends from now.”

Ali’s head immediately shot up from the catering menu she was going over on her phone. “You mean that you went and got a game scheduled for the weekend before our wedding when we conveniently didn’t have anything planned that weekend? We were going to fly down to Florida that Friday morning and stay till Sunday night to make sure your parents had everything set for what needed to be done during the week. Then we are flying back down on Thursday so we are there on Friday to do last minute things.” Ali said it all without taking a breath and Ashlyn noticed how her face was starting to turn red.

She reached out and grabbed Ali by the shoulders, “Alright, babe, take a deep breath. I’m sorry. I didn’t know those were the plans, but Mark was really excited that I was able to get it worked out. I mean, we’ll be playing the best college team in the country, Al. I can’t undo it.”

Ali shrugged Ashlyn’s hands off her. “You know, we talked just the other night about you needing to put in a little more effort in helping me with the wedding and then you go plan this?! What were you thinking, Ashlyn?” Ali snapped.

Ashlyn stayed silent. She knew not to say what she wanted to say, which was that she was a coach and her responsibility was to the team and she couldn’t pass up this kind of opportunity. It’s not like she planned the game for the day after the wedding or something.

“Actually, forget it. You weren’t thinking. I’m going. You’re still picking Elijah up, right? I have a final dress fitting this afternoon.”

Ashlyn nodded her head. “Of course. I’m sorry about the game. I wouldn’t have done that if I had known the plans.”

Ali shook her head, “That’s just it, you should have known the plans if you were paying attention.”

Ashlyn hung her head. “I said I’m sorry. Ok? Have fun with your mom at the dress fitting. I’ll pick us something up for dinner.”

“Ok.”

“Bye, love you.”

“Love you too.” Ali said and Ashlyn looked up and leaned in to give Ali a quick kiss. However, Ali turned her head and the kiss landed on her cheek, and she walked off muttering a ‘bye’ leaving Ashlyn standing there speechless.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Mark, I need your help!” Ashlyn said as she came barging into his office, not bothering to knock.

Mark chuckled, “And how do you think I can help you?”

“I’m in trouble with the bridezilla.” Ashlyn admitted as she plopped down into the chair across from his desk.

Mark snorted. “Now I know I can’t help you with that.”

“It’s about the UNC game. I didn’t know that Ali had planned to go to Florida that weekend for last minute wedding plans. So, now, I’m in trouble because I was the one who planned the game.”

“It’s not like you can miss the game.” Mark stated.

Ashlyn shook her head, “No, no. That’s not even what I’m asking. I’m looking forward to watching my goalkeepers block every shot that Anson’s forwards can take at them. I was actually wondering if maybe you could do something for me the following week.”

Mark raised an eyebrow, “And that would be?”

“I know you already approved for us to be off the Thursday and Friday before the wedding on Saturday. But since I royally screwed up Ali’s plans, I wondering if we could also have Tuesday and Wednesday off?”

Mark sighed and thought about it for a second, “Alright, count it as my wedding present, Harris.”

Ashlyn jumped up from her chair with a huge smile on her face. “Really!?”

Mark smiled at her excitement. “Really.”

Ashlyn ran around to the other side of the desk and gave Mark a hug. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You don’t know how much you just saved my ass.”

Mark laughed, “Oh, believe me, I know. I’m married. I’ve been on the receiving end of the bridezilla attacks. Good luck.”

“Thanks. I’ll need all the luck I can get.” Ashlyn said as she practically skipped out of his office. She was quite pleased with her plan to get her out of trouble.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Can you believe Ashlyn got that game scheduled for the weekend before the wedding?” Ali vented as the tailor tugged around her dress and her mom sat on the couch watching her.

“I’ll give you the fact that she should have thought about it, but she has a lot on her plate right now, baby girl.” Deb said, trying to calm her daughter.

Ali scoffed, “She has a lot on her plate? Really? Because I think I’m doing a heck of lot more for this wedding then she is.”

“Yes, but she has to deal with you.” Deb informed her daughter.

“What does that mean?” Ali asked in an offended tone.

“It means that you have been a pain to deal with. Just the other day you had her go out and pick you up something else to eat when she had ordered pizza because you said pizza wasn’t on your ‘pre-wedding diet.’ And I believe she told your father that you yelled at the caterer over the phone the other day because they told you the price on the fish was going to be higher because it wasn’t in season. Any of this ringing a bell?”

Ali sighed, “Have I really been that bad?”

Deb nodded and quickly rushed to her daughter as she noticed tears come to her eyes. “Oh, don’t cry, baby. You don’t want your make-up to run onto your dress.”

Ali tried wiping away the tears but they kept forming. “I’m just so tired, and I want it all to be perfect, and I don’t feel like Ashlyn really cares.”

“That’s because she doesn’t, baby girl.”

“You’re not helping, mom!” Ali sobbed out.

Debby laughed, “I don’t mean it in a bad way, sweetheart. I mean that all Ashlyn is really concerned about is that she’s married to you. I don’t think she particularly cares what the wedding is like as long as the result is the same.”

Ali shook her head as she dried her tears. “God, I’ve been such a bitch.”

Debby shook her head, “Ashlyn didn’t use the word bitch. I think she called you a bridezilla, but the point is that she loves you through your crazy.”

Ali quickly got finished with her dress fitting, and instead of shopping for shoes with her mom, she texted Ashlyn to tell her not to worry about picking up Elijah or dinner.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

When Ashlyn walked into the apartment she could smell Ali’s famous buffalo chicken lasagna. She threw her keys on the table beside the door and walked towards the living room. She paused in the doorway when she saw Ali and Elijah both sitting on the floor playing candyland. She chuckled as she watched Ali draw a card and then clap her hands in excitement as she went to move her piece.

Ali turned around at the sound of her fiancé’s laugh. “You’re home!” Ali said jumping up from the floor and going over to give Ashlyn a kiss.

Ashlyn pulled away from the kiss in a bit of surprise. “Hey, what’s going on here?”

Ali shrugged and motioned to Eli. “We’re playing a game.”

Ashlyn chuckled, “I can see that. But I thought you were going to be busy with your mom this afternoon, but instead I get a text saying you’re free and that you’ll pick him up and take care of dinner.”

“I wasn’t in the mood to shoe shop. I just wanted to come home and be with my family, have a night where we aren’t worrying about wedding plans.”

Ashlyn scoffed, “Ok. Who are you, and what have you done with my Ali?”

Ali faked shock, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve been perfectly calm about all the wedding stuff.”

Ashlyn laughed, “Yeah, whatever. You and I both know that’s not true.”

“Hey, be nice to me. I’m trying to make up for being a b-i-t-c-h.” she spelled out the bad word because Elijah was in the room.

Ashlyn kissed the defender’s nose. “All is forgiven, besides I smell your buffalo chicken lasagna and I’m hungry.”

Ali giggled. “It’s in the oven. Should be ready in a few minutes.”

Ashlyn smirked as she wrapped her arms around Ali. “Since when was lasagna on your pre-wedding diet?”

“It’s not, but I figured I just wouldn’t have dessert.”

Ashlyn nuzzled into Ali’s neck before kissing her way up to her ear. “What if I’m your dessert?” she whispers and nips at Ali’s earlobe.

Ali groaned, “Mmmm, well I guess that’s not breaking the diet.”

“Mommy, it’s your turn!” Elijah said, quickly interrupting the moment.

Ashlyn chuckled before placing one more quick kiss behind Ali’s ear and moving over to her son and kneeling down beside him. “Did you have a good day, buddy?”

Elijah nodded, “Yep, and now I’m beating Mommy at Candyland!”

Ashlyn examined the board game. “It looks like it. Why don’t you take a break from your game so we can go eat dinner and then you and mommy can finish your game later?”

“Ok!” Elijah agreed easily and got up to run to the kitchen.

Ali and Ashlyn chuckled as their son ran off. Ashlyn stood up before lacing her hand with Ali’s and following Eli into the kitchen.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Hours after they had put Elijah to bed, Ashlyn and Ali found themselves lying naked in their bed. Ashlyn had just brought Ali down from her second orgasm and was slowly kissing her way up the brunet’s stomach.

Ali groaned as Ashlyn nestled her head in-between her breasts. “I really am sorry for being a bitch lately.” Ali whispered.

Ashlyn giggled and placed a kiss to the side of Ali’s right breast before moving the rest of the way up and lying beside her. “I told you not to worry about it. Besides, I really should have done more to pay attention.”

Ali laughed, “Yes, you should have paid more attention, but I also should have seen that you don’t really care about all the little wedding details.”

“It’s not that I don’t care, Alex. I care about the little things if you care about the little things. I’m just more concerned with the big thing, and that is being married to you.” She said, punctuating the ‘you’ with a kiss.

“And in the end, that’s all that really matters to me also, but I still want my perfect wedding.”

“I’m sure it will be perfect with all the effort you’re putting into it. And I know that I majorly killed your plans for the weekend before the wedding. Soooooo, I think I’ve done something that might make up for it.”

Ali’s eyes sparkled as she got excited. “Really?! What?!”

“I got Mark to give us the Tuesday and Wednesday before the wedding off also, so we can go ahead and go down to Florida.”

“Oh my God! Are you serious?! That’s perfect!”

Ashlyn smiled widely and pulled Ali in close. “Glad you approve. Does that make up for me planning the game?”

Ali smiled and leaned in to place a kiss to the coach’s lips. “Yes. Thank you.” She said sweetly before nuzzling further into Ashlyn to prepare for sleep.


	31. Chapter 31

Ashlyn watched as Elijah’s brow furrowed in frustration as he tried to button his shirt. “Need help, buddy?” she asked as she bent down to his level and began to straighten his shirt so it would be easier to align the buttons.

“No. I can do it, Mama.” He said with more focus as he tried to concentrate on the shirt.

Ashlyn smiled and reached over to grab his tie. It was light blue, matching the bridesmaid dresses and the ties the men were wearing. She and Elijah were currently upstairs in Ashlyn’s parent’s home, getting dressed in her old childhood bedroom. Ashlyn’s bridesmaids had already headed towards the beach, Whitney making sure that the mother and son had their last little bit of alone time before the wedding.

“All done!” Elijah announced proudly as he fastened the last button into place.

“Good job.” Ashlyn said as she popped his collar and threw the tie around his neck. He was wearing a white button down and khaki shorts, while Ashlyn wore something similar except she was wearing khaki capris and wasn’t wearing a tie. Her blonde hair flowed down over her shoulders and she was wearing a pearl necklace and earrings that her grandmother had given her.

“You look handsome.” Ashlyn told her son as she straightened his tie and took a good look at him. She marveled at how old he looked. The almost five year old little boy standing in front of her now was a far cry from the newborn baby she held in her arms the day he was born.

“Do you think Mommy will like it?” He asked, clearly proud of himself.

Ashlyn smiled. “She’ll love it.” She paused for a moment, holding out a few more minutes of alone time with her son. In a few more years, Elijah will approach an age where he won’t remember a time where Ali wasn’t in their life. He won’t remember the three years where it was just him and Ashlyn. From this point forward it will always be Mama, Mommy, and Elijah. “You ready to go downstairs?” she asked coming back from her thoughts.

“Yes! I bet mommy is going to look really pretty.” Elijah stated as he grabbed Ashlyn’s hand and started leading her to the door.

Ashlyn beamed as her son’s words, but she pulled back on his hand to stop him real quick. “I bet she is too, bud. But I want to talk to you for a quick second. Is that ok?”

Elijah nodded and looked up at his mom.

“Now, when we go down there, you, mommy, and I are going to do something really special. Do you know what it means for me and mommy to get married?”

Elijah nodded as if this was the simplest question in the world. “It means that it’s our job to love her and protect her.”

Ashlyn blinked back a tear, “Our job?”

Eli shrugged, “I’ll help you, like a team.”

Ashlyn smiled and pulled her son in for a hug. “Yeah, buddy, like a team.” She stood up and grabbed his hand again. “Alright, let’s go.” She said before leading him down the stairs.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Debby had tears in her eyes as she helped her daughter put on her necklace. They were in Ashlyn’s parent’s room getting ready. Ali found it almost appropriate that the room she was getting ready in was covered with photos of Ashlyn and Eli. She had just sent out her bridesmaids a minute ago and she was just waiting on her dad to come in and get her.

“You ready, princess?” Ken asked as he knocked on the door and stepped into the room.

Ali nodded and turned to her mom giving her hug. They exchanged ‘I love you’s’ and Debby left the father and daughter for their last few minutes alone. “Hard to believe you’re getting married. Seems like yesterday I was taking you to your first soccer practice, and now you’re old enough that you get to do that for your own son.” Ken said as he held his daughter in his arms.

Ali looked up at him with tears threatening her eyes. “But I’ll always be your little princess, right?”

Ken wiped carefully at her eyes to make sure he didn’t mess up her makeup. “Of course, and Ashlyn better treat you like the princess you are, or I’ll have to send Kyle to beat her up.” This got a giggle out of Ali. “You ready?” Ken asked.

Ali nodded and checked herself in the mirror one final time before grabbing her father’s hand.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn stood under the white arch at the end of the aisle made by rows of white foldable chairs. It all screamed typical beach wedding but it looked perfect. Ashlyn and Ali had decided early on in their wedding planning process that Elijah was going to be a part of it. So under the arch with Ashlyn was also Elijah and the Judge who was performing the ceremony. Directly beside them was Ashlyn’s father, ready to give his only daughter away, and beside him was Whitney, Chris, and some other friends from both high school and college. Across from them were Ali’s bridesmaids, including HAO, and her ‘best man’, Kyle.

The wedding party and all of the guests soon heard the music start to play and Ashlyn held her breath as she looked down the aisle at Ali. As much as she had tried to prepare herself, she was still breath taken by how stunning Ali looked in her wedding dress. Ashlyn had a hand on Elijah’s shoulder that tightened a little bit more as Ali got closer and closer. This was it. They were officially going to be a family.

Ali and Ken reached the arch and Ashlyn and Mike took a step forward to meet them.

The justice smiled before speaking, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered together today to join these women in matrimony. I now ask who gives these women to be joined together today?”

Ken and Mike both smiled at each other before saying together, “We and their mothers do.” Mike then took Ashlyn’s hand and placed it in Ali’s hand that Ken was holding. Both fathers placed a kiss to their daughter’s head before taking their seats.

“You look beautiful, Alexandra.” Ashlyn whispered as they took a step forward to be under the arch with Elijah standing beside them.

“So do you.” Ali whispered back before they both turned their attention to the ceremony.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Their reception was held under a large tent beside where the ceremony took place. They had tables full of food and a special place with a dj set up for some dancing. They shared their first dance as a married couple, dancing to the song ‘I Won’t Give Up’ by Jason Mraz.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1-4u9W-bns

Ashlyn pulled Ali in close and they began swaying to the music. It was quiet between them, it was the first time since they started planning the wedding that they were finally at peace. Ashlyn had her hands on Ali’s hips with Ali’s arms wrapped around her neck. Ashlyn glanced over to her parent’s table to see Elijah happily playing with a cousin. She turned her attention back to Ali to see her looking up at her with a smile. The lyrics of the song came up and Ali started singing with the song, still keeping eye contact with Ashlyn.

“When I look into your eyes

It’s like watching the night sky

Or a beautiful sunrise

Well, there’s so much they hold

And just like them old stars

I see that you’ve come so far

To be right where you are

How old is your soul?

Well, I won’t give up on us

Even if the skies get rough

I’m giving you all my love

I’m still looking up”

Ashlyn smiled widely as she watched her beautiful bride singing the meaningful lyrics to her. She returned the favor by taking the next few lines.

“And when you’re needing your space

To do some navigating

I’ll be here patiently waiting

To see what you find

’Cause even the stars they burn

Some even fall to the earth

We’ve got a lot to learn

God knows we’re worth it

No, I won’t give up.”

Ali leaned in and kissed Ashlyn as her singing came to a slow stop. “I love you.” Ali whispered as she pulled back.

Ashlyn had tears in her eyes as they continued to sway to the rest of the song. “I love you too, baby. Thank you.”

Ali squinted her eyes, “For what?”

“Being my wife, Elijah’s mother, the mother of our future children. Everything, Alexandra. Just, thank you.”

Ali smiled and leaned her head on Ashlyn’s shoulder. “Well, then thank you. Because you’re all of those things for me to, baby.”

Ashlyn smiled and kissed the top of Ali’s head as she continued to lead her in a slow dance across the floor.

“I don’t wanna be someone who walks away so easily

I’m here to stay and make the difference that I can make

Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use

The tools and gifts we got, yeah, we got a lot at stake

And in the end, you’re still my friend at least we did intend

For us to work we didn’t break, we didn’t burn

We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in

I had to learn what I’ve got, and what I’m not, and who I am

I won’t give up on us

Even if the skies get rough

I’m giving you all my love

I’m still looking up, still looking up.

Well, I won’t give up on us (no I’m not giving up)”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn woke up the next morning to find Ali lying naked beside her. The sun was shining lightly through the hotel room window, and she could see Ali’s wedding dress draped across the chair. She smiled to herself as she remembered how she kissed every inch of Ali’s skin as the she removed her dress last night. She then turned her head to check the time on the clock. It read 9 a.m and she sighed knowing that she would have to wake up her sleeping wife.

Ashlyn smirked to herself as she hovered over Ali’s body and began to kiss her neck.

Ali groaned but refused to open her eyes.

“Come on, baby. Time to wake up. We have to get back to reality.”

Ali groaned again. “I don’t want to. I want to stay in bed.” She said as she wrapped her arms around Ashlyn’s neck.

Ashlyn chuckled, “We can’t. We have to pick Elijah up from my parent’s house and catch our flight home. We have training tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to go back to work. I just want to stay here a little longer.” Ali whined.

“You’re the one who chose to get married two weeks before the season started.”

Ali rolled her eyes, “Whatever.”

Ashlyn smiled knowing that now was a perfect time to give Ali her wedding present. “I have something that might make going back to reality a little better.” Ashlyn said softly.

“Mmmm, is it something like we did last night?” Ali asked as she pulled Ashlyn down to give her a kiss.

Ashlyn laughed. “Not quite, but I like how you think.” She teased with a wink before getting out of the bed to go to her duffle bag.

Ali admired her wife’s body, which was clad in only boy-shorts and a sports bra, as she reached into her bag, however, Ali’s face turned to confusion when Ashlyn pulled out a large manila envelope and brought it over to the bed. “What’s that?”

Ashlyn didn’t answer, but handed the envelope to Ali instead. Ali looked at it curiously before finally opening it and pulling out the papers inside. She gasped and tears immediately came to her eyes as she read the cover page of the legal document she was holding.

In the matter of the petition of

Alexandra Krieger Harris 

To adopt

Elijah Samuel Harris

“Is this real?” Ali asked as she began to flip through the papers in awe of what she was reading.

Ashlyn nodded, “Yep, we can sign everything and finalize it with my attorney when we get home.”

Ali looked up at Ashlyn with the biggest smile on her face. Ashlyn could see the tears brimming in her eyes and quickly reached up to wipe them away. “So…what do you think?” Ashlyn asked timidly.

“Is it ok to say that officially being his mom just might be better than officially being your wife?” Ali asked with tears still falling.

Ashlyn shook her head, “No, baby, that makes me happier than anything else in the world.”

~~

Note- So the wedding might not have been everything you were looking for, but it’s what I could come up with. I don’t really like writing the mushy vows stuff so I just didn’t do it. Hope you enjoyed it anyway! :)


	32. Chapter 32

Family life suited them, Ashlyn decided as she watched her son standing on a stool, in front of the griddle, with Ali by his side teaching him how to flip a pancake. It was only day four of married life and everyone was falling into their place perfectly. Ashlyn wasn’t expecting much to change because they had already been living together, but this was different. Their dynamic had changed. Ashlyn and Ali had officially signed the adoption papers on Monday, and it made everything seem more real.

Ashlyn snapped out of her thoughts as she heard Ali tell Eli to take a plate of pancakes to her.

“Here you go, Mama!” Elijah said as he proudly held out the stack of pancakes to Ashlyn.

“Thank you, buddy.” Ashlyn said as she leaned down to place a kiss to her son’s cheek and take the plate of food.

Elijah skipped back over to Ali and climbed on the stool again so he could see. He made sure to lean in and whisper in Ali’s ear so Ashlyn wouldn’t hear his question, “Can we have chocolate chip pancakes?”

Ali smiled and reached over to a bag of chocolate chips already sitting on the counter and held it up to her son. “I thought you might ask.”

Eli smiled widely and took the bag from his mom.

Ashlyn watched the exchange and gave a silent chuckle. Yeah, family life definitely suited them.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Mark, I need you to help me with something, but you can’t tell Ashlyn.” Ali said as she walked into her coach’s office.

Mark rolled his eyes, “I’m not getting in between you and the Mrs. I don’t like secrets.”

“But what if it’s a good secret? Like something that will make her really really happy.”

Mark raised a single eyebrow, “Not making any promises until I hear what it is.”

“I want my jersey to have the last name Harris on it. Actually, I was hoping it could say Krieger-Harris. Ashlyn and I discussed how I would keep just Krieger on my national team jersey, but I think it would be a nice surprise for her if I used Harris when I’m playing for the Spirit.”

Mark smiled and nodded, “Alright, I’ll give you this one. That does seem like a good surprise. I’ll let them know to put Krieger-Harris on the number 11 jersey.”

Ali clapped her hands excitedly. “You’re the best. Thank you!” she called behind her as she skipped out of his office.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

It’s opening day and the Spirit is playing the Chicago Red Stars. Eli was with Ali’s parents in the stands and Mark and Ashlyn were currently talking to the team before the match.

“Alright, so we are going to go out there, play hard, play smart, and win this game! Everyone bring it in.” Mark yelled excitedly as he stuck his hand out and all the women followed suit before yelling “Spirit” on the count of three.

Mark quickly left the locker room, but Ashlyn took a quick chance to check on her wife. She snuck up behind Ali right when she was about to take off her warm-up jacket. “You ready?” Ashlyn asked as she came up behind Ali.

Ali turned to her in surprise, having not realized that Ashlyn was behind her. She quickly pulled her jacket up around her again so Ashlyn couldn’t see the jersey. “Yeah, definitely. My knee feels good and I’m ready to win this game.”

Ashlyn smiled. “Good. I know you’ll do great, princess. Have fun out there.” Ashlyn instructed as she placed a kiss to Ali’s forehead before exiting the locker room. It had become there thing last season for Ashlyn to wish Ali luck before the game, because once the game started, Ashlyn wasn’t to be held accountable for the things she yelled while in coaching mode.

Ali shrugged off her jacket as she saw the door close behind Ashlyn. She wanted to keep her jersey a secret until they were calling out the starting line-up.

The team entered the field, and Ali made sure to always be facing Ashlyn’s direction on the bench. She didn’t want to take the chance of Ashlyn seeing her back. The teams lined up for the national anthem, and luckily, the American Flag was behind the benches so Ali was facing Ashlyn’s back and not the other way around.

Ali felt a nervous excitement come over her as they started announcing the line-up. She listened carefully as they went through her teammates’ names. Then she heard it. “Number Eleven – Ali Krieger Harris!” The announcer drawled out and she heard the fans cheer and she raised a hand to wave. She then made eye contact with her wife and smiled before turning her back towards the bench and pointing to the back of her jersey.

She then quickly turned back around to step back into line with the other players, not wanting to make too big of a scene. She noticed Ashlyn smiling like an idiot over by the bench and then Ashlyn motioned an “I <3 U” to Ali with her hands.

Ali motioned back an “I <3 U 2” before focusing her attention back on the game she was about to play. Time to win.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

After ending the game in a tie of 2-2, Ali and Ashlyn were dragged off in different directions for interviews. Ali quickly got changed in the locker room in hopes of being able to catch Ashlyn in her office. She ran towards her wife’s office, once she was in normal clothes, only to find it empty. She sighed as she turned out of the office. All she really wanted at the moment was to give her wife a kiss and find out what she thought of her jersey. She walked back up to the field and spotted Ashlyn talking with her parents and she had Eli settled on her hip.

Ali quickly made her way over to them and had her arms wrapped around both Ashlyn and Eli before Ashlyn even noticed her walk up. “Hey you.” Ali said before placing a kiss to Ashlyn’s cheek.

“Hey, Mrs. Harris. You did the Harris name proud.” Ashlyn said cheekily.

“Thank you. So did you like my surprise?”

“Liked it? I loved it. Thank you, baby.” Ashlyn said as she placed a quick peck to Ali’s lips. Ashlyn pulled away but Ali held on a little tighter, determined to get the kiss she had come looking for. She leaned back in and kissed Ashlyn a little harder, overcoming the awkward angle they were in because of Ashlyn holding Elijah on her opposite hip.

When Ali finally let Ashlyn pull away, she noticed that Eli was close to being fast asleep against Ashlyn’s shoulder. She gently ran her hand through his hair and gave him a kiss on the forehead. “You sleepy, baby?” Ali whispered to her son.

Eli nodded his head against Ashlyn’s shoulder and let his eyes close slowly.

Ali turned to her parents. “Well, I think that’s a sign that we better get him home soon.”

Ashlyn agreed, “Yeah. He didn’t take a nap this afternoon because he was so excited for the game. Not surprised he is about passed out.”

“Alright, we’ll see you at next week’s game.” Debby said. “Is there any chance you could have lunch with me this week?” she asked her daughter.

Ali took a second to think, “Well, not tomorrow because Ashlyn and I have to go and look at some elementary schools. We need to get Elijah on the list as soon as possible if we want him in a good school. Maybe on Thursday?”

“Sounds great.” Deb replied.

“Wait, what? I didn’t know we were going to look at schools tomorrow.” Ashlyn butted in.

Ali rolled her eyes, “Yes, you did. I told you back on Tuesday when I called to set up the tours with three different schools.”

“What if I need to be in the office tomorrow?” Ashlyn asked, quickly looking for an excuse.

“The day after a game is always a rest day. That’s why I scheduled the tours for tomorrow.” Ali informed the coach with a bit of sass in her tone.

“What schools are you looking at?” Ken quickly asked, trying to dispel the women’s soon to be argument.

“Well, since you and mom said that you would keep Elijah when Ashlyn and I both had to travel, I thought it would be a good idea to look at some of the private schools kind of in between our place and yours. If we send him to a public school then he would be zoned for the school system that our apartment is in and that’s entirely too far away from y’all’s house.” Ali explained.

“That sounds reasonable. Hard to believe he’ll be in Kindergarten come fall.” Debby said.

“Tell me about it.” Ashlyn mumbled with a clear pout on her face.

They all laughed and said their goodbyes before parting ways.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“I don’t think that’s the right fit for him.” Ashlyn said as her and Ali walked to the car after looking at the third school.

Ali sighed, “And what’s wrong with that one? Because so far you’ve already found a fault in the other two. The first school had to many students in each class, you didn’t like the principal at the second one. What is wrong with this one!?”

“I didn’t like how they had their cafeteria set up. Elijah wouldn’t eat half the stuff they serve.” Ashlyn said as she opened the driver side door for Ali before running around to the passenger side and getting in.

“Then we’ll pack him a lunch.”

“I don’t know about you, but I definitely don’t want to have to pack him a lunch every day. That should be something that the school provides for the amount of money it costs to send a kid there.”

“For god’s sake, Ashlyn! I’ll pack his lunch every damn day if I have to. Now do you have any more excuses about that school? Because I thought it was perfect.” Ali said, clearly exasperated with her wife’s complaints.

Ashlyn stared off for a moment trying to think of something else. She sighed when she realized she couldn’t come up with anything else. The school really was perfect. “No. I guess not.”

“Good. Now do you want to tell me why you’ve been so stubborn about this whole process of looking at schools?”

Ashlyn shrugged and turned her head away from Ali to look out the window. “I don’t know. Guess it’s just hard to think that he’s old enough to go to a real school. I mean, can’t we home-school him?”

Ali laughed, “With our schedules? Do you want him to be the least educated child in America? Because that’s what would happen if we had to find time during the day to try to teach him.”

Ashlyn leaned her head against the window. “I just don’t want him to grow up.” She sulked.

Ali sighed and started to rub Ashlyn’s back in soothing circles as they still sat in the parking lot of the elementary school. “I know, baby. But it’s a part of life. He’ll grow up. We’ll have more children, and we’ll watch them grow up and have to do this all over again.”

Ashlyn groaned. “I don’t know if I can keep doing this. My heart is breaking with just the one.”

Ali giggled. “I think you can do it. I hear it gets easier after the first kid.”

Ashlyn sat back up in the seat and grabbed Ali’s hand to give it a squeeze. “It better.” She said smiling at Ali.

Ali leaned over and kissed her wife’s cheek. “I don’t know what you’re goal keepers are so afraid of, you’re just a big gummy bear.” She teased.

Ashlyn rolled her eyes. “Only when it comes to my family.” She informed her as Ali started the car to head home.


	33. Chapter 33

“Ashlyn, wake up!” Ali yelled as she passed their bedroom that had the door wide open. She had already nicely asked twice for her wife to wake up, but each time Ashlyn just groaned into her pillow. Ali was beginning to get tired of it, the apartment needed to be spotless. She had reminded Ashlyn repeatedly that the U.S Soccer film team was coming today to film another “At Home” segment with Ali. They were trying to do new “At Home” segments with all of the national team players in order to highlight their lives playing in the NWSL.

Ali went to the kitchen and unloaded the dishwasher before checking again to see if her wife was awake. Sure enough, Ashlyn was still lying in bed expect now Elijah was also snuggled in beside her. Ali sighed and made her way over to the bed. She sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed Ashlyn’s back gently. “Babe, you got to wake up. I need help cleaning the apartment.”

Ashlyn groaned and turned her head towards Ali, “I don’t want to.”

Ali scoffed, “You don’t have much of a choice. Get up sleepy head, and get your son dressed to. Make sure you both are wearing something nice.”

“Fine. Can I get a kiss first though?” Ashlyn asked with a pout.

Ali giggled and leaned in to place a quick peck to Ashlyn’s lips. “There. That’s all you’re getting until you help me clean.” She then hopped up and exited the bedroom to go and dust the living room.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn put on a pair of jeans and thought it would be appropriate to also wear her white, Washington Spirit, polo shirt. She then pried her son out of bed and dressed him in a pair of shorts and a navy blue t-shirt that read ‘Property of USA.’

She then left Elijah playing in his room while she went to see if Ali needed help with anything. She walked into the living room to find Ali vacuuming. 

“What can I help you with, babe?” Ashlyn asked.

She didn’t get a response because Ali couldn’t hear her over the roar of the vacuum cleaner.

“What can I help you with?!” Ashlyn yelled a little louder.

Still no response.

Ashlyn went over to the outlet that the vacuum was plugged into and yanked it out. The vacuum immediately turned off and Ali whipped around to see what had happened. She saw Ashlyn standing by the outlet with the vacuum cord hanging in her hand. “What did you do that for?” Ali asked, slightly irritated that her wife had stopped her cleaning progress.

Ashlyn shrugged, “I kept trying to ask you a question but you couldn’t hear me.”

“Oh, what was your question?”

“What can I help you with before the camera crew gets here?”

Ali thought on it a second. She had already done most of the work she needed done. “Why don’t you take the trash out and then make sure you put your shoes in the closet. I don’t want them just lying by the front door.”

“Will do, princess. And also, is this ok to wear?” Ashlyn asked, motioning to her outfit.

“Looks perfect. As soon as I’m finished vacuuming I’ll go change my clothes. Now, can you plug the vacuum back in?”

Ashlyn smiled and did what Ali asked before going about her other chores.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali was still in their bedroom getting ready when Ashlyn heard a knock on the front door. “Ali! They’re here! Are you ready!?”

Ali came running out of the bedroom wearing skinny jeans and a black sleeveless top. She flipped her hair into perfection as she slipped her sandals on. “I’m coming! I’ll answer the door. You go get Elijah.” Ali told Ashlyn as she made her way to the door.

Ali answered the door and the camera crew quickly gave a rundown of what they wanted. Ashlyn and Elijah came into the living room and they started the filming.

“Hi!” Ali said with a wave to the camera. “I’m Ali Krieger, defender for the Washington Spirit, and welcome to my home in Germantown, Maryland. I’m here with my family, my wife, Ashlyn Harris, and our son, Elijah.”

They moved to the couch and continued.

“Ashlyn and I have been trying to settle into a routine which can be a little difficult with us both having to travel a lot with the Spirit. But my parents are a huge help.”

“Her parents are amazing!” Ashlyn butted in as she sat next to Ali on the couch with Eli in her lap.

Ali giggled and kept talking. “They really are amazing. And we’ve been gone so much lately with the season in full swing that my mom actually had to take our wedding pictures to get them framed because I just didn’t have time.” Ali said motioning to a collage of wedding pictures hanging on the wall that included a couple pictures of just them, along with pictures of them and Eli and the rest of their family and friends.

The crew then asked her about using Harris on her Spirit jersey. “I am using the Harris name with the Spirit. But I’ll still have just Krieger when I’m with the national team. It’s really nice that the Spirit allowed me to change it, and all of the fans have been super accepting of it.”

Ashlyn laughed, “Yeah, sometimes the fans don’t appreciate the name change thing after they’ve bought jerseys with the name Krieger on it. But I haven’t heard much complaint. Alex really does have the best fans out there.”

They eventually went towards the Maryland SoccerPlex to do some filming, Ashlyn and Eli tagged along. “We really enjoy our life here. We are really close to my parents, and it’s great to be close to all of the D.C. attractions. There is so much history around here and it’s so special to be able to raise Elijah in a place where we can literally take him to a different national museum every month. It’s great!” Ali said as Ashlyn and Eli could be seen playing with a soccer ball in the background.

Ali was then asked about the future.

“I think Ashlyn and I would like to stay with the Spirit for as long as possible. It is really convenient that we are both working for the same team, so we don’t have to spend a ton of time apart, and that’s also the best thing for our son. But we’ll see how things work out in the long run. The Spirit’s season is looking good, so I’ll continue to work hard with them. Its 2013, so we have two years until the world cup. I definitely have that in my vision, including the 2016 Olympics following that. After the Olympics, Ashlyn and I, of course, will have to evaluate where we are as a family and where I’m at in my career. I would like to play for as long as I possibly can, and I know that Ashlyn supports me 100% in that. But right now I’m just focusing on this season with the Spirit.”

That ended the filming with for the “At Home” segment, and Ali was pleased with how it went.

“I think that went well.” Ashlyn said as they got into the jeep to go home after telling the camera crew goodbye.

“It did. It’s strange to think of how different my last “At Home” segment is compared to this one.” Ali observed.

Ashlyn looked over at her confused before turning out of the soccer complex’s parking lot and heading towards their apartment. “What was the last one like?”

Ali chuckled thinking about it, “Single life in Germany. My spotless apartment with heated floors, shopping and German food, and FFC Frankfort.”

Ashlyn nodded, “Yeah. That does sound very different seeing as you spent all of this morning picking up a little boy’s toys, and our kitchen cabinets consist of poptarts and kid’s cereal.”

Ali giggled, “Yeah, but this is so much better than being by myself. I much rather be here with my family.”

A stupid grin grew across Ashlyn’s face. “Good.” Is all she responded before giving all of her attention to the road and dropping her right hand into Ali’s lap, which Ali quickly took into her own hands.

Nope, Ali wouldn’t trade a thing.


	34. Chapter 34

Ali smiled as she sat on the park bench and watched Ashlyn teach Eli how to ride his bike. He had announced that morning at breakfast that he wanted to take the training wheels off his bike when they went to the park today. Ashlyn had smiled proudly and quickly agreed to teach him how to ride without them.

Ali could here Eli squeal every time Ashlyn pushed the bike a little faster. “Don’t let go, Mama!” Elijah called out.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let go yet.” Ashlyn said.

The coach instructed him on how he needed to firmly hold the handle bars and not jerk when he turns. She also made sure he knew how to stop the bike. “You ready to do it by yourself?” Ashlyn asked.

Elijah nodded confidently, and Ali chuckled as his helmet bobbed up and down. 

Ashlyn held on to the bike as he started to pedal. Everything was going smoothly when Ashlyn said, “Alright, I’m letting go now, buddy.”

“No, Mama! Don’t let go!” Elijah yelled, wanting to bring the experiment to a stop.

It was too late. Ashlyn let go anyway. This was a learning experience after all, and she remembers that her father didn’t show her much mercy when it came to teaching her how to ride a bike. Elijah went maybe 15 feet before crashing to the ground. Ashlyn cringed and ran over to him as he started to cry. She bent down and placed a hand on his back. “You ok?”

Eli shook his head ‘no’ as his face turned red and several tears slipped down his face.

Ashlyn sighed. “Here, let mama look at you. Where does it hurt?” she asked as she tried to grab for his hands to see how bad they were cut up from falling on the pavement.

Elijah quickly pulled away from her. “No! I want Mommy!” He cried out.

Ali was going to let Ashlyn handle the situation until she heard Elijah ask for her. She ran over to them and quickly bent down beside them. “Hey, baby. What’s wrong?” Ali asked in a soothing voice as she reached to unbuckle his helmet.

“Mama let go of me and I fell.” The boy sobbed. He then held out his hands and Ali assed the broken skin on his hands and his knees. Nothing too bad, but they should take him home and get it cleaned up.

“Alright, baby. Why don’t we go home and clean up your booboos and eat icecream?” she asked trying to make him feel better.

He wiped slightly at his tears before nodding his head. Ali stood up and picked him up into her arms. She could tell that he was still crying by the way he shook in her arms, and she rubbed his back trying to sooth him.

Ashlyn sighed as she watched them walk off towards their apartment building. She quickly grabbed her son’s helmet and bike that was laying on the ground and followed after them.

They got into the apartment and Ali took Elijah straight into the bathroom to clean up his hands and knees. Ashlyn came in after them and followed them into the bathroom. “Can I help with something?” Ashlyn asked as she watched Ali pull out the first aid kit as Elijah sat on the counter.

“Yeah. Come help him wash his hands off in the sink while I find the alcohol wipes.”

Ashlyn came over to the counter and turned the sink on before reaching for Elijah’s hands. The boy quickly pulled back. “No!” he screamed.

“Come on, little man. You need to wash them off.” Ashlyn encouraged.

“I don’t want your help! You let go of me!” Elijah yelled as he pulled further away from his mom.

Ali looked up from her search for Band-Aids to see the hurt expression that came across Ashlyn’s face. “Why don’t you just let me handle this?” Ali whispered, as she placed a comforting hand on the small of Ashlyn’s back.

Ashlyn nodded and walked out of the bathroom.

Ali got Elijah all cleaned up and settled into her and Ashlyn’s bed, promising that she would bring back icecream and they would watch a movie. She walked into the kitchen to find Ashlyn scooping two bowls of icecream, one was Ali’s favorite flavor and the other was Elijah’s favorite.

“You’re not going to eat any?” Ali asked. “I thought we could all snuggle up in bed and watch a movie.”

Ashlyn shrugged as she turned to drop the icecream scoop in the sink and put the icecream containers back in the freezer. Ali got concerned when Ashlyn didn’t respond. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t think he wants me in there, Alex. I lost his trust in a matter of ten seconds by letting go of that stupid bike.” Ashlyn said in a defeated tone.

Ali sighed. “You didn’t lose his trust. He just got scared. He’ll get over it, babe. Now come watch the movie with us.”

Ashlyn gave in and picked up the two bowls of icecream before following Ali towards their room. Elijah was laying in the middle of the bed when they walked in. Ali quickly hopped into the bed next to her son and Ashlyn passed the bowls of icecream to each of her loves. She then went over to the collection of dvds and asked Eli which one he wanted to watch.

Elijah thought about it for a second before answering. “Toy Story” he mumbled so softly that Ashlyn barely heard him. She put the dvd in and went over to the bed. She sat on the opposite side of the bed from Ali so that Elijah was inbetween them. Her heart sunk a little further when she saw her son scoot a little closer to Ali and snuggle into her side.

It was about half way through when Ali paused the movie and said that she had to go to the bathroom. She had to pry Elijah’s hands from around her waist before getting out of the bed. As soon as she was gone from the bedroom Elijah scooted even further away from Ashlyn.

“What? Do you not love me anymore?” Ashlyn asked with a playful pout.

Elijah turned his head away from her. Ashlyn smirked, she knew the silent treatment when she saw it, she had given it to her own parents many times in the past. 

Ashlyn slowly moved her way over to the center of the bed until there was only about half a foot between her and her son. “I’m sorry that I let you go.”

Elijah still ignored her.

She wrapped him up in her arms, refusing to let him go as he tried to squirm out of her arms. “Let me go, Mama!” he screamed.

Ashlyn laughed and held him closer. “No. I want you to love me.” Ashlyn playfully whined.

“Mamaaaaa” Eli cried out as he struggled a little harder. Then Ashlyn started tickling him.

Elijah was laughing furiously, still trying to wiggle out of Ashlyn’s grasp when Ali came back into the room. She smiled at the giggling duo as she made her way over to the bed.

“Give up!” Ashlyn shouted. “Say the magic words and I’ll stop tickling you.”

“No!” Elijah yelled, he was almost breathless from his laughter.

Ali watched as the tickling and teasing continued for another minute before the boy finally shouted, “I love you!”

And the tickling stopped and the room became quiet.

Ashlyn smiled widely in triumph and leaned down to place a kiss on her son’s now red cheek. “I love you too, handsome.” She sat pack on her side of the bed as they both calmed down. Ali sat back on the bed and Elijah was back in his position between his moms, except this time he snuggled into Ashlyn’s side and was asleep before the movie was over.


	35. Chapter 35

Elijah peeked his head over the armrest of the couch to get a good look at the baby that Ali was holding in her arms. The family of three was currently visiting A-Rod and her new baby boy, Ryan, while they were in Seattle for a Spirit game. Ali was holding the new baby and cooing softly at him while Amy, Adam, and Ashlyn talked.

“Can I hold him, mommy?” Elijah asked.

Ashlyn chuckled and Ali informed the now five year old little boy that it might not be a good idea for him to hold the baby.

“Actually,” A-Rod spoke up. “I don’t mind if he wants to hold him.”

Ashlyn quirked an eyebrow up at the forward. “You sure about that?”

Amy smirked. “Yeah, it will be good practice for when you two give him a brother or sister.”

Ali rolled her eyes, “Don’t give him anymore ideas. Kyle just got a new puppy and now he thinks he needs one too.”

“Whatever, just let Eli hold him.” Adam insisted.

Ali sighed as she gave in. “Ok, Elijah, you can hold him, but come over here and sit between me and mama on the couch so I can help you.”

Elijah had a huge smile spread over his face as he hopped on the couch beside Ali. Ali instructed him on how to hold his arms out and she carefully placed the baby in his arms. However, she kept an arm around Elijah’s shoulders so she could help the boy hold up the baby’s head. Eli held the baby for a good five minutes without any problems until Ryan started to cry. Ashlyn chuckled at the sight of her son frantically looking up at Ali, wondering what he had done wrong to make the baby cry.

Ali quickly took the baby from the five year old’s arms and insured him that he didn’t do anything wrong.

“Then why is he crying?” Elijah asked innocently.

“Sometimes babies just cry and there’s not always something wrong.” Ashlyn explained. “You used to do that a lot when you were a baby.”

Elijah furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He couldn’t quite grasp why a baby might cry when nothing was wrong. He looked back over to Ali who was rocking Ryan against her chest and trying to calm him down. “I don’t think I ever did that.” Elijah stated confidently as he turned back to Ashlyn and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

All of the adults laughed and Ashlyn didn’t bother to correct him.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali stayed awake in the hotel bed as she waited for Ashlyn to come out of the bathroom. They had put Eli in the bed next to theirs almost two hours ago and Ali couldn’t help but think back to Elijah holding baby Ryan earlier that day. He was so sweet and gentle with the baby, and she knew that Eli would make a great big brother one day.

Ashlyn finally came out of the bathroom and quietly climbed into the bed behind Ali. She wrapped her arms around Ali and buried her face in the brunet’s neck. “Goodnight. I love you.” Ashlyn whispered.

“Love you too.” Ali whispered back in the dark as she settled into her wife’s frame.

Ali tried to go to sleep, she really did, but her mind was racing with thoughts she felt she needed to share with Ashlyn. After five minutes of lying in silence she turned in Ashlyn’s arms till she was facing her. “Are you still awake?” Ali whispered.

Ashlyn giggled. She hadn’t been able to get to sleep because she could feel that Ali wasn’t relaxed in her arms. “Yea, I’m awake. What’s on your mind, princess?”

“I think I want us to have a baby…like in the near future.”

Ashlyn chuckled, “Weren’t you just warning Adam and A-Rod earlier today about putting ideas in Elijah’s head? I didn’t think I had to worry about them putting ideas in your head.”

Ali frowned at Ashlyn’s joking. “I’m being serious. Our season ends in two weeks, and if we have a baby now then I’ll still have time to get ready for the World Cup.”

Ashlyn sobered up at her wife’s seriousness. “Oh.” Was all she let out.

Ali pulled back from her wife’s arms. “Oh? Oh? I tell you that I want another child and all you say is ‘oh’?”

Ashlyn immediately reached to pull Ali back into her. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way, sweetheart. I know we’ve talked about having more kids, I just wasn’t expecting it to be before the World Cup.”

“So, are you saying that you don’t want to have a baby until after the Olympics?” Ali asked disheartened.

“No!” Ashlyn said quickly and probably louder than she should have with Elijah asleep in the bed next to them, and Ali ‘sshhh’d her. “No.” she said quieter. “I want to do this on your timeline. If you’re ready to have a baby and do the work that it takes to get ready for the World Cup, then let’s do it. Let’s have a baby.”

Ali smiled widely. “You mean it?”

Ashlyn smiled as her wife’s face lit up. “Yes. If this is what you want.”

Ali nodded eagerly. “It is. It really is. I love you so much and I can’t wait to have babies with you.”

Ashlyn chuckled at the defender’s confession. “I love you too, beautiful.”

“So we’re really doing this?” Ali asked to just make sure.

“I guess so. We’ll talk about it more later. You should get to sleep now. Goodnight.” Ashlyn said placing a kiss to her wife’s forehead.

“Night.” Ali responded contently before snuggling into her wife and falling asleep.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“This is weird.” Ashlyn announced as she threw the papers she was holding on the coffee table. She was currently laying on the couch with her head propped up on Ali’s lap. They were looking through biography and medical information of sperm donors for their baby.

Ali scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, “What’s so weird about it?”

Ashlyn’s face showed disgust, “I’m trying to pick what sperm should be put in my wife’s body! That’s weird!”

Ali rolled her eyes. “We’re talking about us having a baby, Ashlyn. That’s not weird.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Ashlyn groaned as she turned into Ali so her face was buried in the defender’s stomach.

“Well, sperm is kind of necessary for us to have a baby.”

Ashlyn groaned again. “Ewwww. Stop using that word!”

Ali giggled. “What? Big, tough, Ashlyn doesn’t like the word sperm?” she teased.

Ashlyn covered her ears and mumbled something into Ali’s stomach that Ali couldn’t quite understand. “What was that?” Ali asked poking Ashlyn’s side.

Ashlyn mumbled again.

“I can’t hear you.” Ali said as she went from poking Ashlyn’s side to tickling her up her ribcage.

Ashlyn squealed and tried to get up from her position laying on the couch, but before she knew it, Ali was straddling her and tickling furiously. “Stop! Please stop!” Ashlyn begged between laughs.

“Not until you tell me what you said!” Ali propositioned as she continued to tickle her.

Ashlyn finally gave in, “I said that sperm is the reason why I’m gay! I think it’s gross!”

Ali about fell on the floor in laughter at Ashlyn’s confession and Ashlyn had to quickly reach to catch her. “I seriously doubt the reason you’re gay is because sperm grosses you out.” Ali said trying to contain a giggle as she calmed down and settled back on Ashlyn’s hips.

Ashlyn pouted, “Ok. Well, it’s not the only reason, but I still think it’s gross.”

Ali giggled and leaned down to place a kiss to the blonde’s pouted lips. “Tough luck, babe. You have to have it to make a baby. Which means we need to pick a donor.”

Ashlyn groaned. “Fine, I like number 23449.”

Ali stayed straddled on Ashlyn’s hips but reached over to the coffee table to grab the stack of bios of the donors. She flipped through the stack until she found 23449. She began to read the information. “Tall, 6’3”. Blonde hair. Green eyes. Good at math. Played basketball in high school. Blood type is O negative. Has a good family medical history.” Ali nodded in appreciation as she scanned the rest of the information. “He sounds good. Any particular reason why you picked him?”

Ashlyn shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, Elijah’s dad was tall and blonde, and Becky was just a little shorter than you and she had brown hair. Guess I’m going for the odds that our baby might have the same hair color that Elijah has or something like that. Plus that one ticks off all the boxes you were looking for in the physical health department.”

Ali nodded, understanding Ashlyn’s reasoning. “Ok. So is this the one?” she asked wanting her wife’s honest opinion.

Ashlyn thought on it for a few seconds before nodding. “I think so.”

Ali smiled and leaned down to kiss her wife. “Good. Easy part is over. Now you just have to put up with me through 9 months of pregnancy hormones.”

Ashlyn groaned and buried her head in the side of the couch. “I barely survive when you’re only on your period.”

Ali giggled, “Get used to it, babe.”


	36. Chapter 36

Ashlyn watched Ali’s facial expressions carefully as she stood in the doorway to the bathroom. She thought she might cry tears of joy when she saw a huge smile spread across her wife’s face. “Is it positive?” Ashlyn asked.

Ali looked up and nodded before launching herself into the blonde’s arms and kissing her with all the passion she had. “We’re having a baby!” Ali said excitedly as Ashlyn spun her around.

“This is so amazing, Alex! So who should we tell first?” Ashlyn asked.

Ali thought about it for a second. “I want to tell Elijah first, but I think we should go to the doctor and make sure everything is ok before we tell him. I would hate to get him all excited and the test just be a false positive.”

Ashlyn nodded her head in agreement. “Sounds perfect. Now, I’m going to go make dinner and you should go rest or something.”

Ali rolled her eyes. “Are you really going to be like this the whole time?”

“Yes.” Ashlyn said confidently.

“You’re overprotective to a fault sometimes.” Ali complained.

“But you love me anyway.” Ashlyn said as she pecked Ali on the lips and headed to the kitchen.

Ali shook her head and laughed. She really does love her.

~~ Later that night ~~

Ashlyn watched as Ali came into their bedroom from checking on Elijah. “He still asleep?” Ashlyn asked as she was laying in the bed.

“Yep.” Ali said with a nod before slipping her pants off and then her shirt. Ashlyn admired her body as she walked to the dresser to pull her pajamas out of a drawer. The blonde studied her wife’s curves carefully, trying to remember this picture so she can compare it to how their baby will grow in the coming months.

Ali quickly put her pajamas on and climbed into the bed beside Ashlyn. “You’re beautiful.” Ashlyn whispered into her ear as she pulled her close.

“So are you.” The defender whispered back to her coach.

“I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have two beautiful children with you. The old me wouldn’t have even considered one kid especially not two, but now I can’t imagine not having Elijah. And this baby…” Ashlyn paused as she allowed her hand to settle on Ali’s stomach. “This baby is proof of how far I’ve come in my growth as a person. Thank you. Thank you for being a mother to my children and the love of my life. You’ve changed me forever.”

Ali had tears in her eyes as she leaned in to kiss Ashlyn on the lips. She then laid her hand on top of Ashlyn’s covering her stomach. “God, Ashlyn. You can’t just go around saying stuff like that now. You know I’ll be an emotional wreck.” Ali teased as she used her other hand to wipe her tears.

Ashlyn giggled. “Oppps, sorry, babe.”

“You better be.”

~~ Two days later~~

“It looks like you have a healthy baby so far.” Doctor Jackson said as he looked at the monitor. “I’m going to say the due date is around April 22, 2014. We’ll schedule another appointment for a month from now and we’ll let you listen to the heartbeat then.”

Ali smiled and thanked the doctor but Ashlyn simply stared at the monitor until they turned it off and Ali started to get ready to go. “You ok?” Ali asked as she intertwined her fingers with Ashlyn’s as they walked to their car.

Ashlyn nodded, “Yeah, I guess I’m just having a hard time wrapping my brain around everything that we have to do to get ready for the baby, and all the things that could possibly go wrong. I was feeling pretty confident about the baby stuff because I’ve raised a baby before, but now I see how much I missed.”

“Missed?” Ali asked with a confused look.

“That was the first ultrasound I’ve ever been to, I never saw an ultrasound of Elijah. We have to buy a crib, carseat, and all this other baby stuff and I just realized that I’ve never had to do that before. Becky had done all of that stuff way before I came in the picture. I was there the day Elijah was born and then I saw him twice in between then and when Becky told me she had cancer. I thought I knew what I was doing, but when Dr. Jackson was talking about all the stuff that we needed to be aware of and watch for during pregnancy, I realized that I know nothing!”

Ali stopped them outside of the car and leaned Ashlyn up against it. She grabbed both of her hands and made circles on her palms to try and calm her down. “Ashlyn, baby, its fine. You don’t have to have it all figured out. We’ll figure it out together. Neither one of us knows the pregnancy and newborn stuff, but we’re pros at taking care of five year olds. We’ll do it together and we’ll be fine.”

Ashlyn took a deep breath and let her forehead fall to Ali’s shoulder. “Promise?” she asked quietly.

“Promise.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali could tell Ashlyn was excited when they went to pick Elijah up from school. They both giggled when they saw him running towards their car with his backpack on and lunch box in hand. One of the teachers helped him into the backseat and they moved slowly through the line of cars at the school until they were finally out of the parking lot.

They got to the apartment and both women took the five year old to the kitchen to get a snack. He was sitting at the table with teddy grahams and a glass of milk when Ashlyn raised her eyebrows at Ali as if to ask if now was the right time to tell him. Ali nodded and they both came to sit at the table with him.

“Hey, buddy.” Ashlyn started. “Mommy and I were hoping that we could talk to you about something really important. Is that ok?”

Elijah looked up from his cookies with a curious expression and nodded.

Ashlyn took a deep breath and tried to start but looked at Ali when she realized that she had lost the words she was trying to say. So Ali picked up, “So you know how Reece is Rylie’s little sister?” Ali asked referring to the Rampone girls.

Elijah nodded again.

“Well, that’s pretty cool isn’t it? That Rylie has a little sister?”

Eli shrugged. “I guess.”

Ali got a little nervous, she thought he would be a little more talkative and excited about this subject. “Well, wouldn’t it be pretty cool if you had a baby brother or sister?” Ali asked, reaching over to grab Ashlyn’s hand for support.

“That would be cool.” Elijah admits and Ali and Ashlyn both let out a sigh of relief. “But you know what would be even cooler?!” he asked excitedly and Ali and Ashlyn became nervous again.

“What?” Ashlyn nervously asked.

“A puppy! Like Uncle Kyle has, even Madden has a dog!” Elijah said with a big smile across his face.

Ashlyn buried her face in her hand and shook her head, trying not to laugh at Ali’s failed attempt to tell him they were having a baby.

“How about a baby brother or sister and a puppy?” Ashlyn heard Ali ask and her head immediately shot up.

The women saw as Elijah’s grin grew even bigger. “You mean I can have both?!” he asked with hopeful eyes looking up at Ali.

Ali nodded and Elijah jumped out of his seat to give Ali a hug. “When do I get them?” he asked with anticipation.

Ashlyn laughed at how he worded his question and decided to answer. “Well, Mommy and I will have to talk about when you can get a puppy.” Ashlyn said with a playful glare at her wife for agreeing to the puppy thing. “But, you’ll get a baby brother or sister in a few months after the baby has grown in mommy’s tummy.”

Elijah nodded but looked at Ali confused. “There’s a baby in there?” he asked, pointing to Ali’s stomach.

Ali giggled and nodded. “Yeah, there’s a baby in there. It’s your little brother or sister.” Ali answered as she placed a hand to her stomach.

Elijah nodded in acceptance of this fact and then turned to Ashlyn, and it was obvious that he wanted to ask a question.

“What?” Ashlyn asked as she noticed her son’s thinking face.

“Did I grow in your tummy?” he finally asked.

Ashlyn took in a sharp breath. A million emotions ran through her at her son’s question. How do you answer this? How do you explain this type of situation to a five year old? Never in a hundred years would she had guessed that he would ask that question today. She wasn’t prepared. And her reaction showed it, because after a few seconds of staring at her son she quickly stood from her chair and hurried out of the room with tears threatening to spill.

Ali sat there in shock. The last thing she expected was for Ashlyn to get up and walk out without answering Elijah’s question. She knew it would be a hard question to answer but she figured Ashlyn might play it off now and explain in further detail when the boy was older.

She took in Elijah’s hurt and confused expression and quickly held her arms out to indicate for him to come sit with her. The boy didn’t hesitate climbing into his mother’s lap. “Did I do something wrong?” Elijah asked.

“No, baby. You didn’t do anything wrong. I promise.” Ali assured him as she rocked him slightly in her arms.

“Then why wouldn’t mama answer my question?”

Ali sighed, “Because it’s a really hard question to answer.”

“Why?”

Ali took a deep breath. “Because you didn’t grow in mama’s tummy, but she doesn’t want you to think that means she’s not your mama. Because she is. She’s loved you and cared for you since you were just a little baby.”

Elijah looked perplexed. “Why wasn’t I in her tummy?”

Ali had to think about this one for a second. She mulled over it for a bit before answering. “Because you grew in someone else’s stomach. But after you were born, and just a little baby, mama knew that someone needed to take care of you, and because she loved you SOOOO much, she decided to be your mama.”

“Kind of like you being my mommy?” Elijah asked coming to slight understanding.

Ali gave him a small smile and nodded. “Like me. I loved you so much and wanted to take care of you and do all of the ‘mama things’ so I became your mommy.”

“Then why was mama sad?”

“Because she didn’t want you to think that she doesn’t love you just as much as all the other mamas love their children.”

Elijah giggled. “That’s silly. I know mama loves me. She tells me everyday.”

Ali beamed with pride that he seemed to understand that Ashlyn loved him just the same. “I know. Maybe you should go tell her that you understand.” She suggested, as she helped the boy down from her lap and watched him run off in the direction Ashlyn had left earlier before getting up to follow behind him. Ali watched him check the living room and then their bedroom before finding his mama in his own bedroom. Ali stood in the doorway as she watched Elijah approach Ashlyn, who was sitting on the edge of the bed holding the picture of her and baby Elijah that usually sits on the nightstand.

“Are you ok, mama?” Elijah asked as he sat beside her.

Ashlyn looked to her side, slightly startled that he had come in. “Yeah, I’m ok, handsome. Just thinking.” She told him as she set the picture down.

They both sat in silence for a minute before Elijah spoke again. “I hope you love the new baby as much as you love me.” he admitted.

Ashlyn and Ali were both taken off guard by the confession of the little boy. It wasn’t something you normally expect to hear.

“What do you mean?” Ashlyn asked.

Elijah shrugged. “I didn’t grow in your tummy and you still love me a lot, and the new baby isn’t growing in your tummy either so I just hope that you love the baby a lot too.”

Ashlyn had tears streaming down her face as she pulled her son into her arms. “I will. I will love you both more than you can ever imagine.” She whispered into his ear and kissed the side of his head over and over as she held him tight. She didn’t pull away until she heard a quiet sob come from the corner. She looked over to see Ali still standing in the doorway looking at them both lovingly with tears streaming down her face. Ashlyn motioned for her to come over and join them and she gladly did.

“I told you that I was going to be an emotional wreck.” Ali lightly joked as she cuddled into Ashlyn’s side and let the blonde hold both her and their son close.


	37. Chapter 37

~~ 5 Weeks later ~~

Ashlyn sighed as Ali changed shirts for the third time that night. The family of three was going over to the Krieger house for dinner and Ali was trying to find the right thing to wear.

“Screw it!” Ali said exasperated. “I’m just going to wear a t-shirt.” She said as she grabbed an oversized shirt to make sure she could cover up her very small baby bump.

Ashlyn rolled her eyes, “Honestly, princess, you are probably the only person in the world that can see you have a baby bump. Your parents won’t even notice.”

“My mom will. She is as observant as a hawk. I’m not taking any chances.” Ali said as she put the t-shirt on.

“Als, we have to tell our families sometime. Just wear the nice shirt. If your mom notices anything, which I doubt she will, then we can tell your parents we are having a baby.”

“No. That’s not the plan. The plan is to wait till Thanksgiving when your parents, Chris and his girlfriend, and Kyle are all at my parent’s house.” Ali insisted. The only people they had told were the necessary soccer administrators. But they had made it clear that they were not making a public announcement about the pregnancy until after they had told their families.

~~

Thirty-five minutes later Ashlyn, Ali, and Elijah were walking into the Krieger house. Elijah immediately ran to the kitchen knowing that his grandmother should be in there. “Grandmama!” he squealed as he saw Deb standing by the stove.

Debby smiled widely and bent down to capture her grandson into a hug. “There’s my little boy. How was school today?”

Elijah scrunched his nose. “Not much fun. I got in trouble.” Right as he was informing Debby of this, Ashlyn and Ali walked into the kitchen with confusion written on their faces.

“You got in trouble at school?” Ashlyn asked. “You didn’t tell me that when I picked you up.”

Elijah’s eyes went wide as he turned to face his mothers. “Oops.” Elijah whispered.

Ashlyn crossed her arms. “What did you do to get in trouble?”

“I told Justin that he was stupid.” Elijah admitted while not looking his mother in the eyes.

“Why did you do that?”

Elijah looked up and glanced up at Ali to see if she might save him from his mama’s wrath. Ali simply shook her head ‘no’ and Elijah hung his head again. “He kicked the ball the wrong way when we were playing soccer.”

All three women had to cover the smiles that were forming on their lips. Ashlyn sighed as she uncrossed her arms. It was hard to be upset with an excuse like that one. “Alright, baby, I’m not mad, but I’m upset that you didn’t tell me as soon as I picked you up from school. You also shouldn’t call anyone stupid. That’s not very nice.”

“Ok, mama.” Elijah said softly, accepting the light scolding that his mother gave him.

Ashlyn smiled at Ali, proud of herself on how she handled the situation. But her smile turned into a frown as she heard the next thing out of Elijah’s mouth. “But he still needs to learn how to play soccer.”

Ali and Deb didn’t bother to hide their laughter this time. “Maybe you guys should see about finding him a team to play on.” Deb suggested. “Most kids start to play around the age of five. You should find a league for him.”

Ali got excited at the idea and turned to Ashlyn, “Yeah, we should! He could learn so much.”

Ashlyn shrugged, “Alright, we’ll work on finding a team for him.”

“Great! So, mom, where’s dad?” Ali asked.

“Oh, his meeting ran late. He won’t be here for dinner but he’ll be back by dessert. Now, who wants a glass of wine?” Deb asked.

“I’ll take a glass.” Ashlyn said and Debby began to get the wine glasses out.

“What about you Alex?” Deb asked her daughter.

“Oh, no thanks. I’m driving home tonight.” Ali responded with a small, nervous smile. Her parents knew that her driving wouldn’t usually stop her from having just one glass early in the evening.

Deb raised an eyebrow, “You sure? I have Rosé, your favorite.”

“I’m sure, mom.” Ali insisted and there was an awkward silence for a moment until Debby announced that they could start heading towards the dining room because dinner was almost ready.

….

After dinner, Ken had finally arrived and was now sitting on the back porch with Ashlyn as they watched Elijah play on the swing set. Ali and Deb where cleaning up from dinner, and Deb had insisted on taking Ali upstairs to show her the new curtains she had bought for the guest room. Ashlyn and Ken kept the conversation light until there was a lull in the conversation that Ken decided to fill. “So my wife is really hurt that her only daughter seems to be keeping a secret from her.”

Ashlyn almost choked on her own spit. “Wha-What? Ali isn’t keeping secrets.”

Ken quirked an eyebrow at her. “You mean that Ali isn’t hiding the fact that she’s pregnant?”

Ashlyn was shocked. “How did you know?” she said confirming the pregnancy to her father-in-law through her question.

Ken shrugged, “I didn’t, but Debby got off the phone with her three weeks ago and started telling me how she thought Ali was pregnant. Call it mother’s intuition. And then she whispered something to me earlier about Ali not taking a glass of wine tonight. Deb was using it as a confirmation test.”

“Damn it.” Ashlyn muttered.

“Well, why hasn’t she told her mother? Deb’s hurt that Ali didn’t run to come tell her.”

Ashlyn sighed, “She wanted to keep it a secret until Thanksgiving so we could tell everyone at once.”

Ken nodded in understanding. “That makes sense. Don’t worry, I’ll explain it to Deb and tell her not to bother Ali with it.”

Ashlyn sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

About that time, Deb and Ali came out on the porch and Ali went straight to sit in Ashlyn’s lap. She buried her head in the blonde’s neck and curled into her tightly. “You ok?” Ashlyn whispered in her wife’s ear as she wrapped her arms around her and rubbed her back soothingly.

Ali nodded but didn’t say anything.

“You look tired. Are you ready to go home?”

Ali thought about it for a second before nodding again.

“Alright. Why don’t you start saying bye to your parents and I’ll go get Elijah from the swing set.” The blonde suggested.

“Ok.” Ali said while standing from Ashlyn’s lap. Ashlyn ran into the yard and Ali turned to her parents. “Thank y’all for having us over. Just let me know what we need to bring for Thanksgiving in three weeks.”

“Don’t worry about bringing anything.” Deb said.

Ashlyn walked up on the porch with Elijah by her side and scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous, Deb Deb. If you’re kind of nice to host my crazy family for Thanksgiving lunch then we insist that you let us bring something.”

“Well, if I think of something then I’ll let you know.” Deb said with a small smile, already knowing that she wouldn’t be asking them to do anything.

They all said their goodbyes before Deb and Ken walked the family to their car. The Kriegers watched them pull out of their driveway and Deb turned to Ken. “Did you figure it out?”

“Yea, you were right.” Ken answered, confirming to his wife that they were about to have a new grandchild.

Debby had a huge smile spread across her face before it slightly fell. “But why haven’t they told us?”

“They’re waiting for Ashlyn’s family to be here too. I promised her that we wouldn’t say anything to Ali. She’s been trying to keep it a secret.”

Deb sighed, “Fine. I just wish she would at least tell me. I mean, I’m her mom. I have questions. Like when’s the due date? Is she taking the proper prenatal vitamins? And is she-”

“She’ll tell us in three weeks and then you can ask all the questions that you want.” Ken said cutting her off.

“Fine.” Debby huffed before going inside the house.


	38. Chapter 38

Ashlyn woke up on Thanksgiving morning when she felt Ali jump out of the bed and then hurry off to the bathroom. She listened for a minute to hear if Ali was throwing up and needed her, or if the brunet simply had to go to the bathroom. She heard the toilet flush and then heard Ali walking back into the bedroom. “You ok?” Ashlyn mumbled as Ali snuggled back in beside her.

“Yeah, just had to pee.”

There was a few minutes of silence before Ali quickly pulled out of Ashlyn’s arms and ran off towards the bathroom again. Ashlyn didn’t even have to question it this time. She quickly followed behind her wife, knowing that her morning sickness was starting for the day. Ashlyn rubbed her back gently as Ali puked into the toilet. When Ali finished she sat on the floor with her back against the wall. “You want me to carry you back to bed?” Ashlyn asked.

Ali shook her head. “No, I don’t think I’m finished.”

Ashlyn nodded in understanding and sat on the floor along with her wife. She spread her legs out and pulled Ali to her until the defender’s back was pressed against her front. Ashlyn allowed her hands to rest on the three and a half month swell of their baby and Ali hummed in contentment as Ashlyn rubbed her lower abdomen gently. “Does that feel good?”

Ali nodded and let herself relax against the blonde. Ashlyn continued to rub Ali’s stomach soothingly until Ali lurched forward in an attempt to get to the toilet again to throw up. “God, this sucks.” Ali moaned as she let herself rest against the toilet seat after puking into it.

“And that is unsanitary.” Ashlyn said as she pulled Ali back into her arms and away from the toilet.

“I don’t even care at this point. I’m just tired and I want to sleep but she won’t let me.” Ali whined.

Ashlyn smirked, “She?”

Ali blushed slightly, “I mean, I think it’s a she. Feels like it.”

“Feels like it?” Ashlyn said with a chuckle. She placed her hand on her wife’s stomach and pretended to concentrate really hard. “Feels like a boy to me.”

Ali rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You’re just saying boy because I’m saying it’s a girl.”

“Want to bet on it?” Ashlyn asked with a cocky smile.

Ali raised an eyebrow. “What’s the bet?”

“I win and you promise to take it easy when I tell you that you’re doing too much, and if you win than you can have sex with me whenever you want.”

“Whenever?” Ali asked, honestly intrigued. She had found over the last month or so that she had a major increase in her sex drive. She decided to do some reading up on it and it doesn’t look like her sex drive will lessen anytime soon. This might be a worthwhile deal for her to make.

Ashlyn nodded. “Whenever you want, baby.”

“Deal.” Ali said sticking out a hand for Ashlyn to shake.

Ashlyn shook her hand and then began to stand up, pulling Ali with her. “Let’s get you back to bed, princess. I’ll get Elijah up and make some breakfast for everyone. Is there anything that sounds appetizing to you?”

Ali shook her head, “No, don’t worry about breakfast. I’ll make it, you just get Eli. I’m sure your brother and Sarah will be up soon, plus I need to start on that apple pie I promised to make anyway.”

“Ali, you should really just go back to bed. I’ll handle breakfast and I’m sure I can manage the pie without you. Don’t worry about it.”

“No, I can do it.” Ali insisted. “Besides, what would you tell your brother about why I’m still in bed?”

Ashlyn shrugged, “I don’t know, but it won’t matter after today anyway. We’ll tell everyone at lunch. Just go back to sleep.”

“Damn it, Ashlyn. Stop telling me what to do!” Ali snapped.

Ashlyn took a deep breath trying to remember not to get mad, Ali couldn’t help it. “Fine. I’ll get Elijah and then meet you in the kitchen.” She said quickly before leaving the bedroom.

Ashlyn walked into Elijah’s room to find that he wasn’t in there. Ashlyn made her way to the living room to find Chris and Eli playing a video game while they sat on the pull out bed that Sarah and Chris had shared. “Hey.” Ashlyn said as she walked closer. “I hope he didn’t wake you and Sarah up.” Ashlyn said to her brother.

“Oh, no. Don’t worry about it. We were already up when he walked into the room looking for you and Ali.”

“Oh, you could have come and gotten me.”

Chris shrugged, “Tried to. Peaked my head into your bedroom but you and Ali were both in the bathroom. Didn’t want to bother you guys.”

Ashlyn nodded. “Yeah, we were a little busy. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Chris said as he turned his attention away from the video game to flash his sister a smile. “Sarah and Ali are in the kitchen by the way.” Chris informed her.

“Ok, I’ll head in there. You two have fun.”

Ashlyn walked into the kitchen and saw Sarah flipping some pancakes with bacon already on the skillet beside her and Ali was starting on a pie crust. “Looks like I have two professional chefs in my kitchen this morning.” Ashlyn teased as she came over to kiss Ali on the cheek and say ‘good morning’ to Sarah.

“Oh, I told Chris not to tell you I studied culinary arts in France.” Sarah joked back.

Ashlyn and Ali both laughed but Ali’s laugh came to a quick stop as she quickly handed Ashlyn the spoon she was working with and ran out of the room, yelling, “Be right back!”

Ashlyn sighed and took over making the pie crust while she was gone.

“So how far along is she?” Sarah whispered after a moment.

Ashlyn turned to her brother’s girlfriend with a raised eyebrow, this was sounding much like the conversation she had had with Ken a few weeks ago. “How did you know?”

Sarah shrugged, “I know the signs when I see them. My older sister is actually pregnant right now and believe me, you can cover up a baby bump but you can’t cover up that new cleavage.”

Ashlyn chuckled and shook her head. “That is true, but you’re not going to hear me complaining.”

“Didn’t think so. And don’t worry, Chris has no idea. He’s a guy, she could literally wear a shirt that says ‘I’m pregnant’ and he wouldn’t notice.”

“Good, we’re planning on telling everyone today at lunch. It’s not like we’re trying to keep it a secret forever.”

“I understand. So how far along is she?” Sarah asked again.

“3 and a half months.”

Sarah smiled, “I’m happy for y’all. And your parents are going to be ecstatic!”

Ashlyn had a shy grin spread across her face, “Yeah, they will be.”

Ali walked back in the kitchen with a small smile on her face.

“You ok?” Ashlyn asked as Ali came to stand beside her as she finished up the pie.

“I’m fine.”

“Is it the smell of bacon?” Sarah asked. “My sister’s pregnant and strong smells really make her sick.”

Ali’s eyes went wide as she turned from Sarah to Ashlyn. “You told her?”

Ashlyn laughed, “Nope, she guessed it.”

Ali pouted her lips out and smoothed her sweatshirt down so her bump was visible. “Am I really showing that much?” she asked, slightly self-conscience of her body.

“No!” Sarah insisted. “I swear I just picked up on some signs. I couldn’t even tell that you were pregnant by looking at you.”

Ali smiled, “Good.”

The four adults and Elijah ate breakfast and Ali finished baking her pie before they headed to the Krieger house, where Ashlyn’s parents and Kyle were staying.

Elijah jumped out of the car as soon as Ashlyn put the car in park so Chris and Sarah quickly hopped out to follow him into the house. Ashlyn ran around to Ali’s side of the car and opened the door, grabbing the pie from Ali’s hands so she could get out of the car.

“Are you sure that you can’t tell?” Ali asked as she smoothed out her jacket that she had worn in order to cover up her baby bump until they made the announcement.

Ashlyn sighed, “I’m sure, baby. You look beautiful.”

Ali rolled her eyes and blushed before she closed the car door and started walking inside with Ashlyn following closely behind. They got inside and found almost everyone in the kitchen talking. They handed out hugs and ‘happy Thanksgivings’ and then Ali and Ashlyn found themselves back beside each other and Ali intertwined her hand with Ashlyn’s in nervous anticipation. Ashlyn raised an eyebrow at her to make sure that now was the right time. Ali nodded her head and Ashlyn cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. The room went quiet and Ashlyn gave Ali’s hand a tight squeeze before starting. “So, Ali and I have some news to share with everyone.” She paused for a second to gauge everyone’s facial expressions staring at her, but before she could get out the next sentence, Elijah jumped in front of her and Ali and shouted, “I’m going to be a big brother!”

Ashlyn and Ali’s eyes went wide and the whole family busted into laughter and congratulations. “Well that was easy.” Ashlyn whispered into Ali’s ear before they were pulled away from each other and both wrapped in their mothers’ arms.

Kyle brought Ashlyn into a big hug, “So you knocked my little sister up? Not sure how I feel about this.”

Ashlyn giggled, “Technically I didn’t do it. I wasn’t even in the room when it happened.”

Kyle laughed out loud. “You mean you really weren’t in the room when they did it?”

“Hell no! That’s gross.” Ashlyn said with a face showing her disgust.

“Hey, Al! I think you might have a hard time getting this one into the delivery room.” Kyle shouted over to his sister.

Ali rolled her eyes, “Tell me about it. She squirmed every time I mentioned the word sperm.”

The whole family laughed and Ashlyn just shrugged. What could she say? It does make her a little squeamish.

Thirty minutes later and most of the commotion had died down and they were beginning to settle themselves around the dining table. Elijah had insisted that he sit by his Uncle Kyle so they put him between Ali and Kyle, and Ashlyn sat on the other side of Ali.

Ali had slipped off her jacket, now proudly showing off her baby belly in front of their family. As they began their meal, Ken gave a small talk on things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, including the news of the new addition to their family.

Ashlyn smiled as she looked around the table, she slowly reached her right hand over and found Ali’s hand under the table and linked them together. Ali glanced over at Ashlyn and they shared a smile. They were most thankful to have their children and each other.


	39. Chapter 39

“Aren’t you tired yet?” Ashlyn whined as they toured the fourth house they had been in that day.

“No, we still have two more on my list.” Ali insisted as she looked through the master bathroom of the house they were currently looking at.

Ali had finally talked Ashlyn into looking at houses when she conveniently pointed out that their two bedroom apartment wasn’t big enough for when the baby came. So now Ashlyn was suffering through house searches, three weeks before Christmas, looking at houses that they really couldn’t afford, with a pregnant woman who was very picky.

“You don’t like this one?” Ashlyn asked.

“Not really. It only has three bedrooms. I think that if we’re going to spend the money to buy a house then we should at least get four bedrooms.”

Ashlyn rolled her eyes. “Why do we need to spend the extra money on four bedrooms when we only really need three?”

Ali giggled as she came out of the bathroom she was looking at and started towards the living room of the house to meet back up with the realtor. “You really don’t think about the future that much, do you?”

Ashlyn looked at her confused, “No, not really.”

“Well, think about this. Maybe we will need a fourth bedroom because we decide that we want to have another baby after this one. Or maybe we need the fourth bedroom so your brother or your parents don’t have to sleep on the couch every time they come to visit.”

Ashlyn thought about it for a second and came to the conclusion that Ali was probably right. “Ok, I get it. So we move on to the next one?”

Ali smiled and grabbed her hand. “Yep!” she said excitedly and let the realtor lead them to the next house.

~~

Ashlyn looked around the house in awe. She knew that it couldn’t be anywhere near their budget. Four bedrooms. 5 bathrooms. Kitchen with a breakfast nook. Dining room. Living room. Home office. Laundry room. Plenty of closet space. Fenced in yard with a swimming pool, and a three car garage. THREE car garage! She couldn’t understand why they would need that when they only had two cars. There was no way that this house was in their price range. She was ready to shoot Ali down and drag her out of the house before she got any idea in her head that they could possibly afford this. She hurried up the stairs, where she had seen Ali and the realtor walk up a minute ago and began searching the rooms looking for them.

She heard voices in one of the bedrooms and stopped in the doorframe as she saw Ali standing in the window, the sun shining through the window, giving her the appearance of a majestic glow while she talked to the realtor. She had her hands resting gently on the four and a half month swell of their child and Ashlyn could only think about how beautiful she looked standing there.

Ali looked to the door and saw Ashlyn and smiled. “What do you think?” she asked sincerely. “I was thinking that this room would make a perfect nursery for the baby.”

Ashlyn smiled widely. Suddenly the price of the house didn’t particularly matter. All she could picture was Ali standing in that same window, with the same brilliant smile, except she would be rocking their baby to sleep in her arms. “Perfect, baby.” Ashlyn finally whispered out, not sure if she was talking about the room, the house, Ali, or all of the above.

“You think so?” Ali asked as she walked over to the blonde and grabbed her hand.

Ashlyn nodded and then turned to the realtor. “I think we really like this house, but we’ll have to talk price. Do you think that there might be a chance that the owners would come down from their list price?”

The realtor smiled at Ashlyn. “Well, there’s no harm in asking.” She replied, then left the room, pulling her cell phone out to make phone calls before even getting out of the door.

Ali smiled up at Ashlyn, “You really like it?”

“I like it if you like it.” Ashlyn insured her. “It’s big but it will come in handy when we want to have team parties and friends over. The kids will definitely have a nice backyard to play in. It will be a struggle to afford it, but it is move-in ready and we need to get settled into a house as soon as possible. We can’t put this off much longer with your condition.”

Ali giggled, “My condition? You make it sound like I have a disease.”

Ashly chuckled and wrapped her arms around her wife. “Sorry, baby. But the point is that I think this house will work well for us, and I’m sure Elijah will love having a pool.”

The realtor walked back in a minute later with a smile on her face and clapped her hands. “Well, I have some good news. The owners are willing to come down. They are interested in hearing your offer.”

Ashlyn gave Ali a squeeze and smiled down at her. “Well then, let’s make an offer.”

~~ Week and a half later – two weeks before Christmas ~~

“So are we finding out the gender today?” Dr. Jackson asked the couple as the tech started the ultra sound.

Ashlyn nodded. “I think so. We have a nursery to paint now.” Ashlyn responded with a cheeky smile at Ali. They had just closed on the house the day before and they wanted to paint the nursery and Elijah’s room before they started moving in.

“Great, let’s take a look then.” The doctor focused closely on the screen for a moment and smiled when he found what he was looking for. “Well, right here you have the head, you can see arms and legs.” He informed the couple as he pointed out the different body parts on the baby. “And right here—-” he said pointing to a particular spot on the screen. “Is what makes your baby a boy. Congratulations, you have another son.”

Ali and Ashlyn smiled widely down at each other and Ashlyn placed a quick kiss to Ali’s lips. “We’re having a baby boy.” Ali whispered as a single tear came down her face.

Ashlyn nodded and kissed her forehead. “We are. Elijah is going to be happy when we tell him that it’s a boy.”

Ali nodded in agreement and wiped the fallen tear from her face. “I love you.” She said to Ashlyn.

“I love you too, sweetheart. So much.”

~~ ~~ ~~

“What are we doing here?” Elijah asked as he skipped in front of his mothers through the aisles of Home Depot.

“We’re here to get paint for your new room” Ashlyn informed him, as she and Ali walked slightly behind him, their hands intertwined.

“Can it be green?” Elijah asked excitedly as they stopped in front of the paint section.

“Sure. You just need to pick which green you want.” Ali said as she led him to the green paint samples.

Elijah looked through them all carefully before picking a shade that closely resembled the color of grass.

“Are you sure that’s what you want? The color is a little dark.” Ashlyn said.

“I want this color. It will make my whole room look like a baseball field, or a football field, or a soccer field.” He informed his mother.

Ashlyn’s eyes went wide as she got an idea. Next thing Ali knew, Ashlyn was hurrying off down the aisle and came back with smaller paint cans of different colors.

“What are you thinking?” Ali asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ashlyn smiled, “I’m thinking that I’m a pretty artsy person and I could paint a soccer, football, and baseball field onto each of the three walls of his room and leave the wall with his door on it, just green.”

Ali rolled her eyes, “You do realize the amount of work you’re going to have to put into that before this weekend, right? It’s Tuesday and my parents and Kyle are helping us move in on Saturday.”

“I know. But I want to do this for our son. I can do something special in the baby’s room to if you want.”

Ali smiled. “No, don’t worry about the baby’s room.” She told her wife. Ali then looked at Elijah, “So, mama and I were thinking that you might want to pick the paint color for the baby’s room.” Ali told him.

Elijah’s eyes went wide, “Really?!”

“Really. We thought that as the big brother that you might be the perfect guy for the job.” Ashlyn said.

“I am! I am. I promise.” He then ran over to the paint samples again but Ali and Ashlyn noticed a look of confusion come over his face as he stared at the samples.

“What’s wrong, little man?” Ashlyn asked him with a knowing smile on her face.

Eli turned to them. “I don’t know if the baby is a brother or a sister. Does it like pink or blue?”

Ashlyn smiled and squeezed Ali’s hand. “Well, you’re going to have a baby brother. So maybe blue would work best.”

Elijah had a huge smile spread across his face. “I’m going to have a brother?!” he asked excitedly.

Ali and Ashlyn both nodded and Elijah came running straight to Ali before wrapping his arms around her legs and giving her a hug. He pulled away from the hug and pressed a gentle hand to Ali’s stomach before whispering to it, “Do you want blue or green?”

Ali and Ashlyn both giggled and Ashlyn bent down to his level. “Why don’t we just stick to blue? And if he likes a different color when he gets older then we can change it.”

Elijah nodded and ran off to go look at the blue paint and Ali and Ashlyn just looked on with happy smiles.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Mama!” Ashlyn heard being yelled from downstairs. She then heard the door close and a set of small footsteps coming up the stairs.

“Hey, buddy!” Ashlyn called out. “I’m in your room!”

A few seconds later Elijah came busting into the bedroom. “Wow.” He whispered out as he looked at the walls of his bedroom. Ashlyn had already finished the football field and the soccer field. She was working on the baseball field now.

“Do you like it?” Ashlyn asked.

Elijah nodded his head and continued to look around his new room.

“Did you have a good day at school?” she asked the 5 year old.

“Yeah. We had our Christmas party today!”

“I know, mommy was telling me about that. Did all of your friends like the cookies mommy brought to your party?”

“Yeah, they did. Mommy makes the best cookies!” Eli gushed.

“I know she does. Where is she by the way?” Ashlyn asked.

“Downstairs.”

Ashlyn rolled her eyes. She had figured that out. “Ok, well let’s go downstairs and see her.” Ashlyn said as she set down a paint brush and wiped her hands on a paper towel before following her son out of the room.

They went downstairs and found Ali in the kitchen talking on the phone. Ashlyn saw a cookie container on the counter and immediately went over to it. She was happy to find leftover cookies from Elijah’s school party. She pulled one out and began to chew on it as Ali hung up the phone. “Hey, baby.” Ashlyn mumbled with the cookie still in her mouth.

Ali giggled and came up to her wife and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Hey. Did you get a lot of painting done today?”

Ashlyn nodded as she swallowed the cookie. “Yep, I’m almost finished. How was chaperoning the party?”

“It was fun. I enjoyed getting to know some of the other moms and dads from his class. But I’m actually really tired. Are you ready to go back to the apartment?”

“Yeah, just give me a minute to put the paint up. Why don’t you order a pizza to pick up on the way home?”

“Ok. Just hurry.” Ali said quietly.

Ashlyn looked at her with a worried expression. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, like I said, I’m just tired.”

“Ok.” Ashlyn placed a quick kiss to the brunette’s cheek and ran up the stairs to clean up really quick.

When she came back down she saw Ali sitting at the bottom of the stairs with her hands placed on her stomach.

“You ready?” Ashlyn asked as she slipped on her jacket as she came down the stairs.

Ali nodded and waited until Ashlyn was down the steps to help her up. Ashlyn grabbed her hands and pulled her up then called for Elijah to join them, and he came running into the foyer holding the container of cookies. They were walking to the car, Ashlyn holding on to Ali carefully to make sure she didn’t fall because of the snow, when Ali suddenly gasped and clutched her stomach.

Ashlyn stopped in her tracks and looked to Ali’s face for a sign that something was wrong. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure. It’s been happening off and on all day.”

“Is it pain? Is there something wrong?” Ashlyn asked as calmly as she could, trying to gauge how serious the situation was.

“It’s not pain. It’s discomfort.” Ali informed her.

“Ok, should I take you to the doctor?”

Ali shook her head. “No, just get me to the car. I want to call my mom.”

Ashlyn told Elijah to get in the backseat of the car and buckle up while she helped Ali into the car. Ashlyn closed Ali’s door before running around to the driver’s side of the car. Ashlyn started driving them towards their apartment and Ali called her mom. Ashlyn listened to Ali as she explained what was going on to her mom. As the conversation went on, Ashlyn saw the defender gradually relax.

“So you really think that’s what it is?” Ali asked.

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I feel stupid for not realizing it.” Ali spoke again.

“Ok, bye mom. Thank you.” Ali said as she hung up the phone.

“Everything ok?” Ashlyn worriedly asked.

Ali smiled and rubbed her belly gently. “Yeah, everything is great. My mom is pretty sure that it’s just the baby kicking.”

Ashlyn had a grin spread across her face. “He’s kicking?”

Ali nodded. “It’s really faint. You probably wouldn’t be able to feel it, but I can definitely feel him up in there.” She said as looked down at her bump adoringly.

Ashlyn smiled and reached over to grab one of Ali’s hands. “Well, I can’t wait to feel him. I’m sure that we have another little soccer player in the making.”

Ali groaned.

~~ ~~ Friday Night ~~ ~~

Ashlyn felt Ali turn in the bed again and then heard her let out a big sigh. The blonde giggled quietly as she turned to her wife and wrapped her arms around her.

“You need your sleep, sweetheart. Tomorrow is going to be busy.” Ashlyn whispered.

“You think I don’t know that?” Ali snapped. “He won’t let me sleep. He keeps kicking.” She groaned

Ashlyn pulled at her wife until she was lying on her back and she began to rub soothing circles across her rounded stomach. “Is he still kicking?” Ashlyn asked.

Ali sighed and nodded in the dark.

Ashlyn pulled the blankets down a little and then she pushed Ali’s shirt up to expose her baby bump. She scooted down in the bed to be even with Ali’s stomach. She kissed the swell gently and began to talk to it. “Hey, baby boy. This is your mama. I know you must be really excited to meet your big brother and everything, but right now you’re just keeping mommy awake. You would be doing me a really big favor if you just went to sleep for the night.”

Ali giggled and reached her hand down to tangle in the blonde’s hair. “Thank you. I’m sure that that helped.”

Ashlyn smiled up at her and placed another kiss to her stomach before coming back up to Ali and wrapping her arms around her.

“Can you believe that tonight is our last night in this apartment?” Ali asked as they laid there in the dark.

“No. But it will be nice to get moved into the new house tomorrow. It’s just another sign that our family is growing.” Ashlyn said softly as she ran a hand over Ali’s stomach.

“Yeah, but think of all the memories here. I remember helping you move in, staying her after I tore my ACL, our first Valentine’s Day together, our first real fight, me moving in, Elijah calling me mommy for the first time, us telling Elijah that he’s going to be a big brother. The list goes on and on, and it’s hard to think that we’re leaving this place.” Ali said sadly.

Ashlyn kissed her temple and held her a little closer. “It does hold a lot of memories. But we’ll bring all those memories with us, minus the fights, and we’ll create more memories to go along with them in the new house. Like bringing home the baby for the first time, watching him learn to crawl and walk and call us mama and mommy for the first time. Elijah will have his first spend the night party, and then he’ll have bloody noses from getting kicked in the face at soccer practice. And both of our boys will bring home their girlfriends for the first time, and we’ll see them turn 16 and watch them drive away wearing a tux to go to prom. They’ll graduate, go to college, get married, and then bring grandchildren to visit us. Those are the memories that are waiting for us in the new house. It will all be wonderful.”

Ali turned to bury her face in Ashlyn’s shoulder and Ashlyn heard a small sob come from her wife. “Hey, are you ok? I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

Ali shook her head, “No, it’s ok. These are happy tears.”

“You sure?”

Ali pulled away and gave her wife a small smile while Ashlyn wiped away her tears. “I’m sure. Just promise me one thing?”

“Anything.”

“Promise that we’ll have a little girl too, because I want to help her shop for prom dresses and watch you intimidate her boyfriends.”

Ashlyn chuckled and placed a chaste kiss to Ali’s lips. “It will be my pleasure.”


	40. Chapter 40

“Slow down, buddy. We have to wait for mommy.” Ashlyn insisted as Elijah tugged on her hand to pull her towards the dog kennel.

It was the week after New Year’s and Ali and Ashlyn had promised Elijah, that as one of his Christmas presents, he could pick out the puppy they had promised him months ago now that they have a backyard to keep the dog in.

“But I want to go inside and start looking at the puppies.” The five year-old whined.

Ashlyn shook her head. “Not till mommy gets here.”

Elijah sighed but it turned into a huge smile when he noticed Ali’s car pull into the parking lot. Elijah took off towards Ali as soon as she stepped out of the car. They exchanged a hug and Ali kissed him on the cheek before they walked hand in hand back over to Ashlyn.

“Hey, how was shopping with Ocho?” Ashlyn asked as she quickly pecked her wife’s lips.

“It was good. Just wish that shopping didn’t include buying maternity clothes.”

Ashlyn chuckled and rubbed Ali’s stomach gently before grabbing her hand to follow Elijah inside the building. “Well, I’m glad you have to buy maternity clothes. It means that he is growing into a big, healthy, baby boy.”

“Whatever.” Ali rolled her eyes and went inside the kennel with Elijah while Ashlyn held the door open for them.

A worker led them to the back so they could look at the dogs. Ali and Ashlyn both laughed as Elijah jumped back from one cage because the dog inside barked loudly at him. The little boy went up to one cage that contained two puppies and was immediately entranced. The two women came to stand behind him and looked at the puppies. They were cute and looked to be huskies. Ashlyn looked at the information cards on them and they were indeed huskies but they also both had kennel cough. She showed the card to Ali without saying anything in front of Elijah and they both nodded in silent agreement that these were not the puppies for them.

Ali went down a few cages and found another puppy and called Elijah over to look at it. Elijah looked at it with a skeptical face. “What’s wrong?” his mother asked him.

Elijah scrunched his face and examined the dog a little closer. “I can’t tell what color he is. Brown or yellow?”

Ali looked at the information card on the puppy. It was a male, three months old, had all of its shots, and it was a mutt, a lab mixed with something. She then looked back down at the dog. “I think its hair looks brown.”

The boy nodded. “Can I play with him?”

Ali smiled and turned to Ashlyn. “Can you go get the worker and tell her that we would like to see this puppy?”

“Sure, be right back.”

Ashlyn came back a minute later with a worker who took the puppy out of the pen and led them to a fenced in grass area where they could get to know the puppy. Elijah played happily with the puppy and the worker showed him how to feed the dog a treat.

“Do you see the paws on that thing? They’re huge. ” Ashlyn whispered to Ali. “He’s going to grow up to be a big dog.”

Ali nodded, “Yeah, but it will be good to have a big dog around, something to protect me and kids when you aren’t around.”

“Awww, does someone get scared when I’m not around?” Ashlyn teased as she wrapped her arms around her wife.

Ali pouted. “Don’t tease me. I just feel safe when you’re around. It’s different when you have to be gone for a meeting or something.”

Ashlyn smiled and kissed her temple. “Well, he seems to get along with Elijah ok. Why don’t we spend some time with him to make sure he likes us too?”

The family played with the puppy for a little longer before Elijah finally announced that this was definitely the puppy he wanted. “Are you sure?” Ali asked her son.

“I’m sure. I’m going to name him Bowtie.” Elijah said confidently.

Ashlyn, Ali, and the kennel worker all laughed. “Bowtie? Really?” Ashlyn asked.

Elijah nodded.

“Well, ok then. Let’s go sign all the paperwork to adopt him so we can bring Bowtie home.”

~~ ~~ Two days later ~~ ~~

Ashlyn was just finishing making breakfast when she heard her wife, who she thought was asleep, squeal from their bedroom. She quickly took the biscuits out of the oven so they wouldn’t burn and hurried into the master bedroom. “What’s wrong?” She asked quickly as she came running into the room. However, her worried expression turned to laughter as she saw Ali, Elijah, and Bowtie, all in the bed. Bowtie was licking at Ali’s face while Ali slightly pulled away.

“Ashlyn! Get him off me. This is so gross!” Ali whined as the puppy tried to lick her again.

Ashlyn and Elijah both chuckled. Ashlyn came over to the bed and picked up the puppy in her arms before setting him on the floor. “Sorry, Bowtie. If mommy says she wants you to leave then you have to leave.”

The puppy looked up at her from the floor with sad eyes. Ashlyn closed her eyes and quickly looked away. “Elijah.” She mumbled out. “Go take Bowtie to the backyard so he can pee. Breakfast is ready so don’t stay out there with him. Just put him in the backyard. We will play with him later.

“Ok!” Elijah said happily as he hopped off his parents’ bed before picking the puppy up and carrying it out of the room.

Ali giggled and pulled Ashlyn by the hand until she was sitting beside her in the bed. “I can’t believe we let that boy name his dog Bowtie.”

Ashlyn chuckled, “What do you mean? I think it’s cute. We should let him name the baby too.”

This got a round of laughter out of Ali that had her holding her belly by the end of it. Ashlyn also placed a hand on it to try to feel the baby move again. She had felt it for the first time on New Year’s Day and she was dying to feel it again.

“I don’t know about Elijah naming him, but we do need to come up with a name for him. We only have four months.” Ali observed.

“How about you pick the first name and I pick the middle name?” Ashlyn suggested.

“Okkkk” Ali agreed. “Well, I’ve always really liked the name Tristan.”

“Tristan?” Ashlyn pondered it for a moment. “I like it. Is there a reason you like it.”

Ali shrugged, “In Arthurian legend Tristan was a Knight of the Round Table and tragic hero of the medieval tale Tristram and Isolde. I remember studying it in school and always liking the name.”

Ashlyn nodded, accepting the answer and scooted down in the bed to be even with Ali’s stomach she placed a light kiss to it and rubbed her belly gently. “Well, I think Tristan Kyle Harris would be a perfect name for our baby boy.” Ashlyn said as she looked up at Ali to catch her reaction.

Ali had tears spring up in her eyes as she looked down at her wife. “Kyle?”

Ashlyn nodded and moved up to kiss her wife while keeping a hand on Ali’s stomach. “I know how important your brother is to you, and, just like Elijah has a family name, I want this baby to have a family name.”

Ali wiped at her eyes and moved in to kiss Ashlyn one more time. Just as they were pulling apart they both gasped as the baby’s foot kicked against the hand that Ashlyn had pressed to Ali’s stomach. “Was that a kick?” Ashlyn asked excitedly as she put her other hand on Ali’s bump to catch any other movements that the baby made.

Ali giggled, “Yeah, that was definitely a kick. He must like his name.”

Ashlyn just smiled at Ali for a moment before they both heard Elijah yelling for them from the kitchen. “We should probably go in there before he starts trying to fix his own breakfast.” Ashlyn acknowledges.

Ali nodded. “Yeah, we should. You go ahead. I’ll be in there in a minute.”

Ashlyn hopped out of the bed and headed off to the kitchen. Ali got out of the bed a lot slower and made her way to the bathroom to pee. She stood in front of the mirror for a moment, cradling her baby bump. Ashlyn, Ali, Elijah, and Tristan. They sounded perfect together, like they were meant to be a family.


	41. Chapter 41

“Mama?” Elijah asked quietly as he laid in bed between a sleeping Ali and Ashlyn, who had woken up when she heard him calling for her after he had a nightmare.

“Yeah, buddy?” she whispered back, trying to stay as quiet as possible in order to not wake her 7 month pregnant wife.

“Why do you have all those tattoos?” he asked as he traced one up her arm.

“Because they are art pieces that I designed. You know the paintings and drawings that I do?”

Elijah nodded his head.

“It’s just like those except they are on my body. Each one helps tell the story of who I am.”

Elijah looked at her skeptically, “Do you still have my name tattooed on you?”

Ashlyn softly giggled and wrapped her arm around her son to pull him closer into her side. “I do. It will be there forever and ever.”

“Are you going to get the baby’s name tattooed on you?” he asked innocently.

Ashlyn nodded her head, “Yeah, I probably will. I would hate to leave him out.”

Elijah sighed and pulled away from Ashlyn to be a little bit closer to Ali.

“Hey, stay close to me. We don’t want to wake Mommy up.” Ashlyn whispered as she tried to pull him back towards her.

Elijah shook his head furiously and backed himself up into Ali’s side. “No.” he said a little louder than a whisper.

Ashlyn’s patience was dwindling as the boy got closer to waking up his mother, she hopped out of the bed and had every intention of taking the boy back to his room. “Elijah Samuel Harris, get out of the bed. Right now.”

Elijah shook his head and turned away from Ashlyn to tap Ali on the shoulder to wake her up.

Ashlyn reached over and grabbed the boy from the bed and was starting to carry him out of the bedroom, kicking and screaming, when she heard Ali call for them to stop. “What’s going on?” Ali asked sleepily as she sat up in the bed.

Elijah was still crying loudly and trying to get out of his mother’s strong hold.

“Don’t worry about it, babe. I’m handling it.” Ashlyn insisted as she began to take the boy out of the room again.

“NO! I want my Mommy!!” Elijah screamed as he continued to cry.

“Ashlyn! Wait! Just let him stay.” Ali called out.

Ashlyn turned around to look at Ali and sighed before letting the boy down. Elijah immediately ran back to the bed and climbed in beside Ali and buried his face into her neck. “Sshhh. It’s ok, baby.” Ali soothed as she held him as close as she could and rubbed circles on his back. “I’m right here. It’s ok.”

Elijah continued to sob and Ashlyn just stood by the bed looking helpless. Ali looked exhausted and the last thing Ashlyn wanted was for Ali to have to deal with this. “Alex, you need to get to sleep. Just let me take him to his room and I’ll get him to calm down.” Ashlyn insisted.

The defender shook her head ‘no’ as she placed a gentle kiss to the top of her son’s head. “Yeah, cause you were doing such a great job at that when you were carrying him out of the room, kicking and screaming.” Ali responded sarcastically.

“I don’t even know what’s wrong with him!” Ashlyn said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “He had a nightmare. I calmed him down and brought him in here. He was asking me questions about my tattoos and then when I tried to keep him from waking you up, he started this mess.”

Ali nodded and turned her attention back to their son. “Hey, handsome.” Ali started as she pushed him back a little to wipe at the tears streaming down his face. “Why are you crying?”

“Because Mama doesn’t love me anymore!” he sobbed out and collapsed back into Ali’s arms.

Ali held him close and looked up at Ashlyn who had tears in her own eyes now. Ali motioned for Ashlyn to come sit on the bed beside them and grabbed her hand to squeeze it tight before talking to Elijah. “You know that’s not true. Mama and I both love you so much. You can’t even imagine. Why would you say that?”

“Because she’s only cares about the new baby” he sobbed out and gasped for air before continuing. “And she’s going to get his name tattooed on her back like she did with my name… She loves him more.” He cried out as he tried to catch his breath.

Ali pulled him in close and kissed his hair. “Take a deep breath, baby.” Ali soothed. “You’re getting to upset. Let’s calm down.” She rubbed his back gently and talked him through catching his breath.

Ashlyn sat on the edge of the bed with a look of hurt and confusion across her face. She didn’t understand how he could think this.

“Hey, Elijah, look at me.” Ashlyn said as she scooted closer to her wife and son.

Elijah shook his head no and buried his face in Ali’s chest.

Ashlyn placed a hand on his back and curled up next to him and Ali. “Hey, you’re my buddy, right? Always have been. You’re irreplaceable. I love you and your new brother just the same. I don’t love you any less than I always have. You should know that.”

“But why does my heart hurt when you talk about the baby?” Elijah finally spoke to her but didn’t turn to look at her.

Ashlyn’s heart broke right there and she reached to grab Elijah from Ali’s arms and pulled him into her own. “Hey, it’s ok that you feel bad. You’re used to having me and mommy all to yourself and that’s slowly changing. I get it. Has Uncle Chris ever told you how much he didn’t like it when Grammy and Grandpa had me? He was afraid that grammy and grandpa wouldn’t love him the same, but they did. And just like they loved Uncle Chris the same, mommy and I will love you the same. The baby might need a little extra attention while he’s a baby but that doesn’t mean we are going to love him anymore than we love you.” She explained.

“You promise?” Elijah whispered out as he looked up at his Mama.

“I promise. You’re my buddy for life.” Ashlyn swore as she kissed his head.

Elijah looked over at Ali and slowly climbed from Ashlyn’s lap towards her. “And you’ll still love me?” he asked quietly.

“Of course I will, handsome.” Ali assured him with tears brimming her eyes.

Elijah nodded as if this satisfied his answer and then he laid down in the middle of the bed and closed his eyes.

Ashlyn and Ali looked at each other confused. “That’s it?” Ali whispered over him.

Ashlyn shrugged and laid down in the bed also with Ali following suit. They all got settled into the bed before Elijah showed that he was still awake by placing his little hand on the swell of Ali’s stomach and then drifting off to sleep.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali woke up the next morning to find Elijah laying fully on top of Ashlyn, his head settled on her chest. They both had their mouths slightly parted and Ashlyn had her hand on the boy’s back to keep him from rolling off of her. Ali smiled at how much they resembled each other sometimes for them to not even be blood related. She remembers how every parent from Elijah’s soccer team last fall could have sworn that Elijah was actually Ashlyn’s until she informed them that he was actually adopted.

Ali slowly climbed out of bed, trying not to wake her two sleeping loves. She was out of the bed and staring to walk to the bedroom door when she heard a whispered, “Mommy?”

She stopped and turned to her son and motioned for him to join her. He carefully climbed off of his mama and scurried to catch up with Ali as they walked into the kitchen.

“I’m hungry. Can we have food?” He asked as climbed up on the bar stool while Ali turned on the coffee maker.

“Sure thing, handsome. What do you want?” Ali asked. 

“French toast sticks!” Elijah responded, happy that he got to pick the breakfast menu.

Ali giggled and ruffled his hair before moving to get the ingredients for French toast. As she was getting the eggs out, the doorbell rang and she moved as quickly as she could to answer it. She opened the door to find a man standing on the porch. He was tall, probably around 6’ 3”, had short blonde hair. A handsome man for sure, but his eyes are what caught Ali’s attention. She could have sworn that she has stared into those beautiful blue eyes hundreds of times.

“Hi.” Ali said, unsure of who the man was that was standing at her door. “Can I help you?”

The man gave her a genuine smile. “Well, I hope so. I’m looking for Ashlyn Harris. Does she live here?”

Ali nodded. “She’s my wife. I can go get her. Can I ask who it is that wants to speak to her?”

“Harrison. An old college friend. Thought I might look her up while I was in town.”

Ali looked at him skeptically for a second until she heard Elijah yell from the kitchen. “Mommy! Can I have a juice box!?”

Ali sighed and turned away from the man standing at the door. “Hold on a second, sweetie. I’ll be right there!” she called back and then turned to the blonde man. “Let me go get my wife. Do you mind waiting here on the porch for her?” she asked, not completely trusting his story enough to let him in the house.

“Of course. That’s completely fine.”

Ali nodded and shut the door before locking it and hurrying up the stairs to wake Ashlyn.

“Ashlyn, baby, wake up.” Ali said as she shook Ashlyn’s shoulder.

“5 more minutes, babe.” Ashlyn mumbled into the pillow.

“No, Ash, you need to wake up. There is a man waiting at the door to talk to you.”

Ashlyn perked up. “Who?”

“He said he was a friend of yours from college. I think he said his name was Harrison.”

Ashlyn shot out of bed. “Harrison?!”

“Yeah. Is it a good thing that he’s here?” Ali asked.

Ashlyn slipped on a pair of pants and clean shirt in a hurried attempt to get downstairs. “Not really. I’m going to talk to him outside. Keep Elijah inside.”

“Should I be worried?” Ali asked as she followed Ashlyn down the stairs with concern written across her face.

“No, I’ll handle it.” Ashlyn said with clenched teeth as she opened the front door and closed it right behind her.

“What are you doing here?” Ashlyn seethed as soon as her eyes landed on the blonde man sitting on the front steps of her house.

Harrison turned around and Ashlyn had to close her eyes and take a deep breath when those blue eyes landed on her. “I was trying to see if you knew where Beck is. I tried looking her up in Chapel Hill put I couldn’t find an address for her.”

“So you decided to look me up instead? You thought it was ok to show up at my house? You couldn’t have tried to call?” Ashlyn asked harshly.

Harrison stood up and faced Ashlyn. “Look, I know you’re not a fan of mine, but I would really like to talk to Becky. Do you know how I could get in touch with her?”

“No.” Ashlyn said flatly. “I haven’t talked to her in years.” It was the truth, a half-truth but still the truth.

“Ashlyn, come on. You two were best friends. I doubt that’s changed.”

Ashlyn shrugged, “A lot of things have changed actually. But I know you haven’t. Why are you looking for her anyways?”

“I have to have an excuse to try to find the mother of my child?” Harrison asked as he crossed his arms in defense.

“You do when you gave up parental rights to that child before it was even born. Or did you forget that? Becky’s kid is not yours. Never will be.” Ashlyn said harshly.

Harrison rolled his shoulders as if to roll the sting of Ashlyn’s words off. She was right, but he wanted to know how to get in touch with Becky, so he went for a personal attack. “You act like I’m the only one who’s made mistakes.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever made a mistake quiet like abandoning my pregnant girlfriend.” Ashlyn spit at him.

Harrison laughed with no humor, “No, I can see that. The. Ashlyn. Harris. finally grew up. Got yourself a pregnant wife, sounded like a little boy was in the kitchen, a perfect life. You finally straightened yourself up. But tell me, does your wife know how many women you slept with, or better yet, how many of your best friend’s boyfriends you fucked? Does she know that you were arrested for a DUI but some college booster for UNC made it disappear?”

“Shut up.” Ashlyn snapped at him.

“What? You don’t want me to talk about how that little incident landed Becky in the hospital with a broken arm and fractured ribs? How many times have you gotten completely wasted and left your wife to clean up your messes? Because that’s the Ashlyn Harris I know. You’re gay, but if you’re high enough you might fuck me. Oh, but we should keep that a secret. Becky should never know… You say that I couldn’t have changed?” the man scoffed. “How am I to believe you did?”

Ashlyn shook her head, “I told Becky.”

“Told her what?”

“I told Becky that I slept with you when I was high as a kite sophomore year at UNC. She didn’t give a fuck. She also forgave me a long time ago about what happened that night with the DUI. Just leave me and my family alone. I can’t help you with Becky so just fuck off.”

Harrison smirked and turned to leave. “Just tell her that I’m looking for her.”

“Why are you even looking?” Ashlyn asked one more time.

“Curiosity.” He said with a shrug.

“Haven’t you heard the phase, ‘curiosity killed the cat.’ Leave her and the kid alone. And don’t come to my house ever again.”

“Fine, just tell Becky that I hope she didn’t let that kid screw up her life. She had a lot of potential. I just wish she could have seen it the way I saw it. Wasted opportunities if you ask me.”

“Yeah, well good thing no one was asking.” Ashlyn said as she stepped forward and threw a solid bunch to the guys face.

“You can rot in hell you little dyke!” he yelled at her before turning to his car with a hand held to his probably broken nose. “And tell Becky she can do the same. It was a mistake to even try to find her.” He called out as he got in his car and peeled away.

Ashlyn shook the sting out of her hand and walked to the front door. She paused to take a deep breath before going back inside. She was collecting her thoughts when she started talking to herself. “I can’t believe that even a high version of myself would sleep with that. Thank god I’m gay.” She shuddered as she opened the door and went to the kitchen.

“Hey, is everything ok?” Ali asked as she noticed Ashlyn walk in the kitchen and place a kiss to Elijah’s forehead.

“Yeah.” She said as she moved to the freezer to grab an icepack and put it on her hand.

Ali noticed but decided to not ask any question with Elijah in the room. “Hey, sweetheart, why don’t you go watch tv for a little bit.” Ali suggested to get Elijah out of the room.

As soon as the boy exited the room Ali was removing the icepack from Ashlyn’s hand to assess the damage. “What happened?”

Ashlyn shrugged, “Just some asshole I went to college with. Don’t worry about it. He remembers the Ashlyn of days past. Unfortunately for him, I’m not the same Ashlyn.”

Ali nodded as she looked into her wife’s eyes. She could tell the blonde wasn’t being completely truthful with her. “Ashlyn, I’ve looked into those eyes a million times, I know when you’re lying. Tell me who he really is.”

Ashlyn sighed, “Becky’s douchebag ex.”

Ali nodded, “Elijah’s biological father?”

“I don’t like to put the title of father on him. I think he lost that right.” Ashlyn said a little harshly.

“But I was right? He is.”

Ashlyn nodded, “He was looking for Becky.”

“And? What did you tell him?”

“That I haven’t talked to her in years. I didn’t want him asking about Elijah if I told him that she was dead.” Ashlyn explained.

Ali nodded in understanding. “I get it.”

There was a moment of silence that passed between them before Ashlyn took a step to wrap Ali in her arms. “Hey, baby?”

“Yeah?” Ali mumbled into Ashlyn’s neck.

“You know how I’ve told you that I made a lot of mistakes in the past? A lot that I regret deeply.”

Ali looked up at her confused. “Yeah.”

“Well, thank you for washing those away. You make me a better person. And I’m so happy that when he was throwing my shitty past in my face that I could wipe it off and know that you would still be here.”

“I’m happy to be here for you. Are you sure that we’re ok with the Elijah thing though? I don’t want him coming near our son.”

Ashlyn kissed the top of Ali’s head. “Don’t worry. He won’t. I swear to you that he won’t.”

“Good. There are some French toast sticks on a plate for you. You might want to warm them up.”

Ashlyn nodded. “Thank you, baby.” She said before getting the plate and sticking it in the microwave.

Ali walked out of the room to join Eli while he watched television. Ashlyn joined them a minute later with her plate in her hand and sat on the couch. Elijah smiled as he noticed her sit down. “Good morning, mama!” he said happily.

“Hey, good morning to you too.” Ashlyn responded with a big smile.

Elijah then turned his attention back to the tv and Ashlyn just stared at him for a moment. She loves that little boy so much, she couldn’t believe that Harrison could biologically have a child that is so perfect and sweet. She swore to herself right then that when she looked at Elijah that Harrison Williams would never come to her mind again when she looked at her little boy. Elijah belonged to her and Ali. Biology be damned.


	42. Chapter 42

Ashlyn smirked as Ali groaned out her name. “Ashlyn, baby, please. I’m ready to come!” Ali called out.

Elijah was staying with Ali’s parents for the night so Ashlyn and Ali could have a little bit of alone time. Ali was still 7 weeks from her due date, but Ashlyn was about to be gone on a trip to Chicago for a week and then they wouldn’t have much time till the baby was here and their life becomes a hundred times more hectic.

So Ashlyn was making this all about Ali and filling her needs. She made Ali’s favorite dinner, had rubbed her swollen feet, helped her take a bubble bath, and now she was moments from bringing Ali over the edge.

“god, you’re so wet, baby.” Ashlyn said as she kissed the inside of Ali’s thigh to slow things down a bit.

Ali groaned and tried to reach down to grab Ashlyn and encourage her to finish the job off, but when she looked down she only saw belly. The defender was completely at the goalkeeper’s mercy because she wasn’t able to do anything in her condition. “Ashlyn, this isn’t funny. I don’t need slow.”

“I don’t want to hurt the baby.” Ashlyn said as she moved a finger into her wife.

“We already asked the doctor about that, babe. You won’t hurt him, now finish!” Ali practically yelled.

Ashlyn jumped into action at her wife’s words and had Ali’s cum running down her fingers and on the edge of her lips in a matter of seconds. She moved up from in between Ali’s legs and kissed her wife passionately. “Feel better now?” Ashlyn asked.

Ali nodded enthusiastically. “Much. Thank you, baby.”

“Anything for my princess.” Ashlyn said as she kissed her wife one more time and leaned back into her pillow while caressing Ali’s baby bump gently.

“I feel bad that I can’t do anything for you.” Ali mumbled out into the dark.

Ashlyn scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I haven’t been able to really return the favor since I entered my third trimester. I’m sorry about that.” Ali admitted.

Ashlyn blushed, “Oh, well, don’t worry about it sweetheart. I uhhh…I got myself covered.”

Ali quickly turned her head to Ashlyn. “You do? God, now I feel even worse. I didn’t realize you were having to do that!”

“No, no. Don’t feel bad about it, Alex. I like that I can take care of you still. I’m not worried about me.”

Ali pouted and crossed her arms over her chest, which was now significantly bigger than it was before. “This sucks. I mean, I never thought about how this baby would literally take over every part of our lives before he was born. I mean, I couldn’t even watch you earlier because my bump got in the way. It takes out some of the fun.”

Ashlyn chuckled. “I’m sorry, princess. But think of it this way, soon, we are going to have a beautiful baby boy. And after a few months of letting you heal and all of that stuff, we’ll be dropping him and Elijah off with your parents again and I’ll be giving you the time of your life.”

Ali giggled and rolled her eyes. “Since when do we talk about sex so much?”

Ashlyn joined in on her laughter. “I don’t know. Since we became that married couple with kids that actually has to plan intercourse because it’s so unusual.”

Ali’s eyes went wide. “Oh. My. God. We are those people, aren’t we?”

Ashlyn nodded, “Seems that way.”

Ali shook her head and buried it in Ashlyn’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to leave tomorrow.”

“I know. I wish I didn’t have to leave you and the boys.” Ashlyn said rubbing Ali’s bump again.

“Mmmm.” Ali hummed as Ashlyn continued to rub her stomach soothingly. “Me and the boys. That has a nice ring to it. I can’t wait for this little one to be born.”

“Me neither.” Ashlyn said as she placed a kiss to Ali’s lips before the exchanged ‘goodnights’ and ‘I love you’s’ and went to sleep.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Mommy and Eli day?!” the five year old asked excitedly as his mother informed him that they were going to have a fun day while mama was away.

Ali was excited to spend some one on one time with Elijah before the baby was born. She didn’t want Elijah to have any bad feelings towards the new addition to their family. She wanted him to feel nothing other than love.

“Yep, I thought we could put together this new Lego set I bought you and then watch the Lego Movie and eat pizza, maybe even some cookie dough icecream for dessert.” Ali told him.

Elijah’s eyes went wide. “That sounds AWESOME!” he said before running off towards the staircase.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Ali called after her son.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be right back, Mommy!” Elijah told her and then ran up the stairs. He came back a couple minutes later with a blanket in his arms.

“What blanket do you have there?” Ali asked him even though she had immediately recognized the light blue blanket that usually is folded on a chair in the corner of the master bedroom.

“Mama’s Carolina blanket.” Elijah informed her and sat down on the couch beside her, handing Ali the blanket so she could spread it over the two of them.

Ali smiled and pulled Elijah into her side after putting the blanket over them and pressing play on the movie.

They watched the movie and ate pizza, Ali having to tolerate Elijah singing “Everything is Awesome” from The Lego Movie for what felt like the thousandth time. They ate icecream and played a few games. Eventually the little boy fell asleep on the couch while Ali was watching the news. Ali turned the tv off and was ready to get some sleep herself but she watched her son sleep for a moment in the silence of the house. It wasn’t usually quiet and she knew that this would be an even rarer moment after the baby is born.

She wished that she could pick him up off the couch and carry him to bed like she had done so many times before. Instead her heart hurt as she had to lean over and lightly shake his shoulder to wake him up so he could go to his bed. “Come on, handsome. Let’s get you to bed.” Ali whispered.

Elijah’s eyes fluttered open but he closed them again. “I sleep here.” He said grudgingly as he snuggled deeper into the couch.

Ali giggled, “No, baby, you need to go to your bed. Let’s get up.”

Elijah sighed as he sat up, knowing that he had promised his Mama that he would be good for Mommy this week. Ali got them both upstairs and tucked Elijah into his bed before going to her and Ashlyn’s room.

~~

It was 2 in the morning when Ali suddenly woke up in a puddle. It took her a moment to realize what was going on and when she did she got out of the bed as quickly as she could. She looked down at her bed and couldn’t believe this was happening right now. She quickly started pulling the sheets off the bed, trying to calm herself as she figured out what to do. “This can’t be happening. I have six more weeks.” She was in denial as began to slightly panic. “Ashlyn’s not here. I need Ashlyn.”

She was starting to walk towards her bathroom when a contraction shook her body, and she bent over in pain clutching her stomach. “Oh god.” Ali groaned as she waddled over to her nightstand and grabbed her cellphone and dialed Ashlyn’s number.

“Hello?” Ali heard Ashlyn say sleepily into the phone.

“Ashlyn, I need you.” Ali said as she had a tear slip down her face.

“Alex!? What’s going on, baby? It’s 2 in the morning.” Ashlyn said in a slight panic.

“My water broke, Ashlyn. The baby’s coming.” Ali sobbed out as she held her stomach protectively.

“What?”


	43. Chapter 43

Recap:

She was starting to walk towards her bathroom when a contraction shook her body, and she bent over in pain clutching her stomach. “Oh god.” Ali groaned as she waddled over to her nightstand and grabbed her cellphone and dialed Ashlyn’s number.

“Hello?” Ali heard Ashlyn say sleepily into the phone.

“Ashlyn, I need you.” Ali said as she had a tear slip down her face.

“Alex!? What’s going on, baby? It’s 2 in the morning.” Ashlyn said in a slight panic.

“My water broke, Ashlyn. The baby’s coming.” Ali sobbed out as she held her stomach protectively.

“What?”

~

“I said the baby’s coming. I’m scared, Ashlyn. He’s early. This isn’t supposed to be happening!” Ali said with tears falling freely now.

Ashlyn took a deep breath. “Ok, baby, you need to calm down.”

“Calm down!? I’m going into pre-mature labor and you’re all the way in Chicago! How can you be telling me to calm down!?” Ali yelled over the phone.

“I know, Alex, and I’ll get the first flight out of here that I can get. But right now I need you to focus on doing what’s best for you and the baby. You need to take a deep breath, princess.”

Ali sat on the edge of the bed and did as her wife told her. “Alright.”

“Ok, now I need you to go and wake Elijah up. I don’t want you to be awake by yourself in case something happens.”

“Something happens? What would happen?” Ali asked, starting to panic again.

“Nothing is going to happen. I would just feel better if I knew Elijah was awake. Now, after you wake him up, you need to pack a bag to take to the hospital. I want you to focus on those two things and I’m going to call your parents and tell them what’s going on so they can come and take you to the hospital. You get ready to go to the hospital. I’ll book a flight out as soon as I can.”

Ali nodded her head even though Ashlyn couldn’t see her. “Ok.” She said softly as she rubbed her belly soothingly.

Ashlyn sighed at how scared her wife sounded. “I know you’re scared, baby. But know that I love you and that I’ll be there as soon as possible. Now go get ready to have our baby boy.” Ashlyn encouraged and ended with a smile to herself.

“You’re right. We’ll have our baby soon, nothing wrong with that.” Ali said trying to calm herself.

“Exactly. Now let me call your parents so they can get you to the hospital. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Ali said before hanging up the phone and starting everything Ashlyn had told her to do.

~~ ~~

“Ali’s in labor!” Ashlyn said as soon as she heard her father-in-law answer the phone.

“What?” Ken said as he began to really wake up.

“Alex just called me. Her water broke. I’m not in town. I need you and Deb to go get her and I need one of you to stay with Elijah.” Ashlyn said slowly to make sure Ken processed everything that she was saying.

“She’s having the baby? Right now?” Ken asked to help clarify what he had heard.

“Yes!” Ashlyn yelled impatiently. She already had her laptop pulled up in front of her and was looking for flights out.

“Ok. We’ll get there as soon as possible. When can you get there?”

Ashlyn was looking frantically for flights from Chicago to D.C. and smiled when she saw a flight leaving in an hour and half, 4 am. Ashlyn quickly pushed the purchase button. “My flight leaves at 4. It’s a two hour flight so I can get to D.C. by 6 your time and be at the hospital by 7.”

“Ok, I’ll focus on getting her to the hospital and you just focus on getting here.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. She’ll be ready to go by the time you get there.” Ashlyn said as she hung up and didn’t bother to wait for a response. She quickly threw everything in her bag and was out the door in a matter of minutes. She quickly knocked on the door to the room beside hers and hoped that Mark wouldn’t be mad about waking him up.

Mark opened the door and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “What’s going on?” he asked in a thicker accent then what he usually had as he saw Ashlyn standing there with her bag over her shoulder.

“Ali’s in labor.” Ashlyn said throwing her hands up.

Mark’s eyes went wide, “Really? That’s exciting. Don’t worry about all of this stuff. I’ll cover all of our meetings, everyone will understand.”

Ashlyn nodded, “Thanks.”

Mark looked at her confused as she continued to just stand there in front of his door. “Don’t you need to be leaving?”

Ashlyn nodded again. “I do. But I’m internally freaking out and can’t seem to move.”

Mark smiled and wrapped an arm around his assistant. “I know what you mean, I’ve been in your position. Everything is going to be great. You’re already an awesome mom, adding another kid won’t change that.”

“Thanks, but that’s not exactly why I’m freaking out.”

“No? Then what’s up?” he asked her in concern.

“The baby’s early. 6 weeks early. Ali was freaking out about it and I managed to calm her down put I’m not so calm myself. What if something’s wrong?”

Mark nodded, “You and me both know that coaches don’t just promise that everything is going to be fine and go your way, we’re honest. This is a big deal that the baby is coming early, but I promise you that no matter what happens, you and Ali have me and the team behind you 100%.”

Ashlyn nodded. “I know. I just…Nevermind. I should be going. Thanks. I’ll hopefully see you in a few days except with a new little boy.”

Mark gave her a big smile. “Can’t wait. I’m excited to see what amazing futbol playing athletes that Ali Krieger produces.” He joked.

Ashlyn laughed, “Yeah, I’m excited about that too. See ya!” she said with a wave as she headed down the hall towards the elevator.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

“Ali?! Sweetheart, where are you?” Deb called out as she quickly entered her daughter’s house using their spare key.

“I’m in the living room!” Ali yelled back.

Ken and Deb walked into the living room to find their daughter and grandson sitting on the couch. Elijah looking as if he was about to fall back to sleep.

“Hey, princess. You ready to get to the hospital?” Ken asked in a soft voice, trying to keep his daughter calm for the baby’s sake.

Ali nodded and held her hand out for her dad to help her up.

Ken easily helped her off the couch and grabbed her bag that was sitting by the couch. “Ok, I’m going to help you in the car but your mother is going to take you. I’ll stay with Elijah.”

“Ok. That sounds good.” She then bent down to place a kiss to the top of Elijah’s head. “Bye, baby. I love you. Be good for granddaddy, ok?”

“Ok mommy.” Elijah responded sleepily.

“Do you know if Ashlyn’s gotten a flight yet?” Ali asked as her dad walked her carefully to the car.

“She did. It leaves at 4. She’ll hopefully be at the hospital around 7.”

Ali grimaced as she felt a contraction. “I’m not sure he’s going to wait that long.”

Ken chuckled and opened the car door to help Ali get in and put her bag in. “I’m sure she’ll be here. Your mom was in labor with Kyle for 14 hours.”

“Yeah but she was only in labor with me for 5.”

“Everything will be fine, baby girl. In a few hours I’m going to get a phone call, from Ashlyn, saying that I have a new baby grandson, and I’ll bring Elijah down there and we’ll all meet Tristan in person.” Ken encouraged.

Ali nodded her head. “You’re right. Remember to feed Bowtie and take him on a walk before y’all come to the hospital.” She instructed her father.

Ken laughed and placed a kiss to his daughter’s head. “I got everything covered, princess. I’ll take good care of Elijah and the dog. You just worry about you and the baby.”

“Ok. Bye, daddy. I love you.”

“Love you too.” Ken said with a smile and closed the car door before running back inside.

“Alright. She’s ready to go.” Ken said as he walked back into the living room.

Deb stood up from her place on the couch beside Elijah. “Good. I’ll call you as soon as we know anything. Remember to feed him breakfast.” She told her husband as she gave him a kiss on the cheek and started walking to the door.

Ken rolled his eyes. “Feed who? The kid or the dog?” he joked.

Deb laughed. “Both.” She said before leaving the house and taking her daughter to the hospital.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ashlyn arrived at the hospital right around 7 a.m. She ran in and went straight to the nurses’ desk. “Hi. I’m looking for my wife, Alexandra Harris. She’s having a baby.” Ashlyn rambled out.

The nurse chuckled at the nervous woman and began to type on the computer to find out where Ali’s room was, however her smile fell slightly when she noticed that Ali had been put in the emergency department. “Mrs. Harris has been moved to the emergency department. I can take you back there. You need a hospital employee with you to get back there.”

Ashlyn’s eyes went wide. “Emergency? Does that mean something’s wrong?” she asked as she followed the nurse through a set of double doors.

“It could mean any number of things. You would really have to ask a nurse in that department. “

Ashlyn nodded and eagerly followed the nurse until they stopped outside of a room. “This is your wife’s room.” The nurse said and left Ashlyn to go inside by herself.

She walked in to find Ali lying asleep on the bed, a dozen tubes and wires attached to her, and she looked pale. Ashlyn barely stepped into the room before she felt like she wanted to throw up. “What’s going on?” she asked Deb, who was sitting in a chair beside Ali’s bed.

“Ali’s blood pressure dropped and so they moved her in here.” Deb explained.

“And the baby?” Ashlyn asked as she walked further into the room so she could be by Ali’s side.

“He seems fine right now. They’re watching closely.”

Ashlyn nodded and grabbed Ali’s hand to hold and sat down in a chair beside the bed. “Hey baby.” She whispered. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be here earlier but I’m here now. Be strong, princess.”

Deb gave her daughter-in-law a sad smile and Ashlyn barely returned it. They sat there for a few minutes in silence before one of the monitors started beeping like crazy. Ashlyn quickly looked at the monitors, trying to figure out which one was beeping. “What’s going on?” she asked frantically.

Deb was standing by this point also. “I’m not sure.”

A few seconds later two nurses ran into the room and Ashlyn and Deb quickly moved out of the way. “What’s wrong?” Ashlyn asked.

“The baby’s heart rate is dropping. We have a doctor on the way.” One of the nurses explained as the other nurse tried to wake Ali up.

Ali slowly came to and Ashlyn ran to her side. “Ashlyn?” Ali croaked out.

“I’m right here, baby. I made it.”

“What’s going on?” she asked, a scared look across her face as she noticed the doctor run into the room.

“Mrs. Harris, I’m Dr. Hunington. Dr. Jackson is in another delivery at the moment so I’ll be taking care of you and your baby boy. Right now your baby is in distress and his heart rate is dropping. We’re going to have you push soon and then you’ll be able to meet your little boy. Ok?” the doctor explained as calmly and positive as possible.

Ali nodded and nervously squeezed Ashlyn’s hand as they began to wheel her bed out of the room and towards the delivery room. Deb and Ashlyn stayed by her side as they prepped her to deliver her son. “You’re doing great, baby.” Ashlyn whispered into her ear.

“I’m scared, Ash.” Ali said with tears slipping down her face as the doctor told her that she would be pushing in a moment.

“It’s ok. I got you, both of you.” Ashlyn insured her.

“Alright, Alexandra. I need you to start pushing now!” the doctor called to her.

Ten minutes later and Ashlyn was sure that her hand was about to fall off but they still didn’t have a baby. “Ok, Ali. Two more pushes and we should have him. We need to do this well. His heart rate is still dropping. We need to take care of him. Let’s get him out, Ok?” he told her.

Ali gave two more big pushes and then Ashlyn watched as the nurses began to quickly work on the baby. Ashlyn watched, expecting to hear a cry soon and see them cut the umbilical cord but the baby didn’t make a sound and Ashlyn couldn’t see him moving.

“What’s wrong?” Ashlyn called out to them as they began to carry the baby away to the corner of the room, but they didn’t answer. Ashlyn had her eyes on her son until she heard Deb call out Ali’s name in panic.

“Alex! What’s wrong, Alex!? Alex!?” Deb called out.

Ashlyn panicked as she turned to her wife and saw her eyes roll back and go unconscious.

“No, no, no! Alex!?” Ashlyn yelled out as she shook Ali slightly. The doctor was by Ali’s side in a matter of seconds and nurses were pulling the blonde out of the way. “Alex! Please, baby. Wake up!” Ashlyn shouted as she let the tears fall down her face. Ashlyn and Deb watched as several more nurses and Dr. Jackson came running into the room.

Ashlyn watched as Dr. Jackson began to have the nurses take Tristan out of the room. “Wait! Where are you taking him!?” Ashlyn asked desperately, torn between her son and her wife.

“NICU” Dr. Jackson informed her quickly. “You can follow us if you wish.”

Ashlyn looked back to Ali and couldn’t decide. “Go!” Deb encouraged. “Ali would want you to make sure he’s ok. I’ll stay with her.”

Ashlyn nodded and hugged Deb tightly. “I can’t lose them.” Ashlyn whispered in her ear.

“You won’t. Now go!” Deb said and pushed her towards where the nurses had just taken Tristan.


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Medical info comes from MAYO clinic’s website.

~~ Two hours later ~~

Ashlyn was now standing over an incubator that held her precious baby boy. She looked at the tiny armband around his wrist that read ‘Tristan Kyle Harris. 4 lbs. 6 oz.’ He was so tiny. She didn’t even realize that they could get tubes and needles small enough to fit his little body. She could see Ali in him, his nose, his chin. She sighed, she hadn’t even asked anyone about her wife yet. She was scared…had been scared for the past two hours since her son was born. She hadn’t been this scared since the day that Becky died and she officially became Elijah’s only family.

She had watched Dr. Jackson work diligently on her son and had stayed with the brave little boy to ensure that he was ok. Tristan was now stable, but Ashlyn was still scared. Scared that if she asked about her wife then they would tell her the worst.

“Ashlyn?” she heard her mother-in-law whisper from behind her.

Ashlyn swore her heart stopped beating in that moment. Why was Deb behind her and not with Ali? She didn’t answer…she couldn’t answer. She continued to stare at her son, silently waiting for her world to crash down around her.

“Ashlyn?” Deb tried again as she stepped towards the blonde and set a hand on her shoulder. “Is he ok?”

“Stable…for now.” Ashlyn choked out. Still unable to look at the older woman. “Is she…how…Ali…” Ashlyn didn’t know how to ask a question like this.

“She’s fine. Her blood pressure dropped, and along with the loss of blood, she just passed out. She’s awake now. First question she asked was if she could see her baby. I told her that I would come check on him.” Deb explained, easing Ashlyn’s mind.

Ashlyn took a deep breath and let a single tear fall as she bent over, hands on her knees. “Oh thank god.”

Deb rubbed her daughter-in-law’s back gently. “Take deep breaths. She’s ok. She’s ok.” Deb encouraged.

Ashlyn shook her head. “I don’t know what to tell her.” She sobbed out as she brought a hand up to cover her face as she stayed bent over and trying to catch her breath.

“What do you mean, sweetheart?”

“I don’t know how to tell her that he’s stable but that doesn’t mean he’s ok.”

Deb sighed and pulled at Ashlyn’s arms until she was standing. “What are they saying?”

“His lungs are severely underdeveloped. And his heart… they say he has patent ductus arteriosus. I’m not even sure what that really means. The doctor is supposed to come and talk with me soon…I hope.”

“Ali is in room 233. Go and be with her. I’ll stay here with him and when the doctor comes looking for you then I will tell him where you are.”

Ashlyn nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. “I have to tell her, don’t I?”

Deb nodded and Ashlyn hung her head as she walked out of the NICU and towards her wife’s room. How was she supposed to tell her wife that their baby was so sick?

“Alex?” Ashlyn whispered as she gently opened the door.

“Ashlyn?” Ali slowly sat up.

Ashlyn smiled as she saw that her wife looked much better than when she left her, weak…but still here…still alive. “Hey, baby. You scared me earlier.”

Ali slightly ducked her head away in shyness. “I’m sorry. I scared myself to be honest. The last thing I want to do is leave you and our boys.”

“I know.” Ashlyn said as she reached the bed and grabbed the brunette’s hand. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Where’s Tristan? Will they bring him in soon?” Ali asked unknowingly.

Ashlyn took a deep breath as she sat down on the edge of the bed. “Alex…we need to talk.”

~~ ~~

Ken walked hand in hand down the hall with his oldest grandson. Both he and the five year old were eager to see Ali and the new baby.

They passed the nurses station and a nurse stopped them to give Eli a piece of candy. “Hey, cutie. Who are you here to see?” she asked him, knowing that most young children who come on this floor were here to see a new younger sibling.

“My little brother!” Elijah answered excitedly as he took the piece of candy.

The nurse smiled at him. “Well, that’s fun. I bet you’ll be a great big brother.”

Elijah smiled proudly. “That’s what my Mommy tells me!”

Both Ken and the nurse chuckled before Ken thanked her for the candy and continued towards Ali’s room. Ken was about to open the door to let Elijah in to see his parents when he could distinctly hear Ali crying. He paused and knocked on the door, not sure if it would be a good idea to bring Elijah in.

Ashlyn heard the knock and left Ali’s side to hurry to the door. She cracked it open to see her son and father-in-law standing there.

“Bad timing?” Ken asked as he noticed the blonde had tear stains down her cheeks.

Ashlyn nodded but opened the door enough to come out of the room before closing it behind her.

“Mama, can I go see Mommy?” Elijah asked as he pulled on the hem of Ashlyn’s shirt.

Ashlyn gave her son a small smile before bending down to pick him up in her arms. “I think Mommy would love to see you, but she’s really tired right now so I think we should wait.”

“What about Tristan? Can I go see him?” Elijah asked, he wanted to see at least one person that he had come to see.

“Actually, your brother is really sick. They have special doctors looking after him right now, but you can hopefully see him later.”

Elijah sighed, “But Mama, I came all this way.”

Ashlyn slightly giggled at the dramatics of her son. “I know, buddy, but maybe you can see Mommy soon.” She told him as she set him back on the ground.

Ashlyn looked to Ken who had confusion written over his face, he had talked to Deb on the phone earlier and she had said that Ali had had a little scare but was doing fine now, and that she didn’t have news yet on the baby. Ken had assumed that it was okay to bring Elijah to, at least, see Ali.

“He’s not doing good.” Ashlyn explained to her father-in-law. “And Ali isn’t taking it well. Do you think that you could stay out here with him for a little bit till Ali calms down enough to see him?”

“Of course.” Ken nodded eagerly. “Is there anything else I can do?”

“I don’t think so.” Ashlyn spotted Dr. Jackson coming up behind Ken and gave the doctor a small wave. “That’s the doctor. He’s coming to talk to me and Ali. I’ll catch up with you two later.”

Ken nodded and grabbed Eli’s hand to lead him over to the waiting room.

Ashlyn opened the room door and Dr. Jackson followed her in. “Hi, ladies. It’s good to see that you’re doing well, Ali. I was worried about you when I had to leave to take care of Tristan.” The doctor greeted as Ashlyn went and sat on the edge of the bed to grab her wife’s hand and the doctor took a seat in the chair beside them.

“I would be doing better if I knew that my baby was ok.” Ali said quietly and looked down at her hands.

The doctor sighed. “I wish it was that simple, Ali. I really do. As I explained to Ashlyn earlier, his lungs are severely underdeveloped. On top of that, his heart is showing signs of patent ductus arteriosus, which is common in premature babies.”

“What exactly is patent ductus arteriosus?” Ashlyn asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that.”

“Patent ductus arteriosus is a persistent opening between two major blood vessels leading from the heart. This normal connection, called the ductus arteriosus, is a necessary part of the baby’s circulatory system before birth. It usually closes shortly after the baby is born but when it remains open we call it patent ductus arteriosus.”

“So how bad is this? How will it affect him?” Ashlyn asked as she squeezed Ali’s hand.

“Untreated, a large patent ductus arteriosus can cause too much poorly oxygenated blood to flow through the heart, weakening the heart muscle and can cause heart failure. This isn’t a good combination with his weak lungs. We will keep him in the incubator, along with breathing tubes. Patent ductus arteriosus can usually be treated with medications, which is what I would prefer to try first.”

“And if the medication doesn’t work?” Ali whispered out.

“Then we look at closure by cardiac catheterization or surgery.” Dr. Jackson explained.

Both women nodded and Ali was trying to hold back her tears. “Could I see him?” she finally asked.

The doctor gave her a small smile and stood from his chair. “I’ll send a nurse in to help you get to the NICU.”

Ashlyn stood with him and gave him a handshake. “Thank you.”

“Just doing my job. And I saw your oldest out in the hall. As long as you hold onto him while you’re in the NICU then I will see about them letting him back there.”

Ashlyn smiled. “That would be great.”

Dr. Jackson gave them a nod and then left the room. A minute later a nurse came in with a wheelchair. “Mrs. Harris? Dr. Jackson said you wanted to go see your baby boy.”

“Yes!” Ali said excitedly. “I’m dying to see him.”

The nurse giggled and she and Ashlyn both helped Ali up and into the wheelchair. The nurse began pushing Ali out of the room and down the hall with Ashlyn following at their side.

“Wait! Dr. Jackson said we could bring our oldest son. Can we still do that?” Ashlyn asked.

Ali’s eyes went wide and she turned to her wife. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? How will we explain to Eli about why he’s in the incubator?” Ali asked with concern for her oldest son.

“He’ll be ok. He’s a strong little boy. Just like his mommy and little brother. I have a very strong little family.” Ashlyn said as she gave her wife a sincere smile. “Plus, I want us all to be together as a family.”

“Ok. Then can we bring him?” Ali asked the nurse.

“Of course!” The nurse agreed before pushing Ali’s wheelchair towards the waiting room.

As soon as they rounded the corner, Elijah spotted them and came running over. “Mommy!” he said excitedly.

All three women laughed and Ashlyn stuck her hand out to stop him right before he jumped on Ali. “Hold up, little man. Mommy is a little sore. You need to be gentle.” The blonde instructed.

Eli nodded and moved in to give Ali a gentle hug. “Hey, mommy!” he said softly.

“Hey, baby. I’ve missed you. Did you have a good time with granddaddy?”

Eli nodded and Ali kept him in her arms. “Good. Do you want to go see your baby brother now?”

“Can I?!” the boy asked with a huge smile over his face.

Ali nodded and motioned for him to come sit on her lap.

“You shouldn’t be doing that, Alex. Let me carry him.” Ashlyn insisted.

“I got him.” Ali said as she wrapped her arms tightly around her son.

Ken walked over about that time. “I agree with your wife, baby girl. Let Ashlyn hold him.”

Ali rolled her eyes. “I want to hold my little boy and I think you both can allow me that comfort after the day we’ve had. Now, let’s go see my baby. You can come too, dad.”

The nurse looked to both Ken and Ashlyn to make sure it was fine for them to continue on towards the NICU and Ashlyn nodded before they all started towards the large double doors leading into the unit.

~~

Deb saw her daughter and the rest of the family enter the unit and stood from her chair beside Tristan’s incubator. Deb walked over to Ken and pulled him into a hug as they stayed back to let the little family have a moment alone.

The nurse stopped the wheelchair in front of Tristan and told Ashlyn to come and get her when they are ready to head back to the room.

Ashlyn thanked the nurse and then turned back to her wife and two sons. Ali’s grip around Elijah was a little tighter and she had tears threatening to fall as she looked at her tiny baby. “He’s so small.” Ali finally sobbed out. “And he looks so helpless.”

“But he’s strong. He’s made it this far.” Ashlyn encouraged as she placed a hand on her wife’s shoulder.

“I know.” Ali said softly and she loosened her grip on Eli as he shifted forward in her lap.

“He looks like you too.” Ashlyn whispered. “A perfect little boy, just like Elijah.”

Ali smiled and kissed the back of Elijah’s head as she watched him closely.

Elijah put one small hand to the box that held his little brother and his mothers and grandparents couldn’t hold their tears in as they watched Tristan’s tiny hand press against the box from the opposite side.

Ali looked up at Ashlyn and Ashlyn gave her a small smile and reached down to wipe the tears off of Ali’s cheeks before turning back towards their boys. “Perfect.” Ashlyn whispered. “My family is perfect.”

Ali nodded along in agreement to her wife’s words. “We’ll be ok?” Ali asked her.

“We’ll be ok. No matter what happens. I promise.” Ashlyn swore as she kissed the top of the brunette’s head and wrapped her arms around her wife and son from behind as they all watched their newest addition closely.


	45. Chapter 45

“Ali?” Ashlyn whispered from behind her wife as the brunette watched their youngest son carefully. Tristan had been in the incubator for a week now, and even though Ali had been discharged from the hospital four days ago, she had yet to leave.

Ashlyn didn’t get a response from her wife so she tried again. “Alex? Baby?”

Still no response.

Ashlyn sighed as she tapped Ali softly on the shoulder. “Ali, are you ok?”

Ali jumped slightly in surprise but relaxed when she saw Ashlyn standing over her. “I’m fine. Where have you been?”

Ashlyn furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She had told Ali an hour ago that she was going home to take a quick shower and that she would be back soon. She also ran by McDonald’s and got Ali some breakfast. “I told you I was going home to shower.” Ashlyn explained carefully. “I brought you some breakfast also.” She said holding up the fast food bag.

“Oh, I guess I forgot.” Ali said nonchalantly and turned her attention back to Tristan.

Ashlyn frowned and sat down in the chair beside her wife. She pulled out a chicken biscuit and placed it on Ali’s lap before opening a bottle of orange juice and setting it on the small table beside Ali’s chair. “You should eat, Alex. I made sure to get you chicken instead of sausage.”

“Thanks.” Ali mumbled but didn’t make any move to pick up the food.

Ashlyn watched silently for several minutes before she decided that she needed to do something to help her wife. Ali wasn’t being Ali and she had to do something. Tristan’s condition wasn’t looking any better than it did a week ago when he was born, and looking at the way Ali was acting now made Ashlyn worry that if they lost Tristan, then she would lose Ali also.

She shot off a quick text to Ali’s parents, who had been keeping Elijah for the last week. The nurses would usually let Elijah in the NICU for a few minutes each day to see his baby brother and that also happened to be the only time that he got to see Ali. Ashlyn would always make a point to walk her in-laws and son back to the car when they got ready to leave so she could talk to them and play around with Elijah a little bit. But today she thought that maybe Ali’s parents could bring all five of them lunch to the hospital and Ashlyn was going to insist that Ali leave her position beside the incubator long enough to eat and spend time with their oldest son.

~~ ~~  
“Ali, baby?”

“Yeah?” Ali mumbled.

“Your parents and Elijah are here. They are waiting at a picnic table outside with lunch for everyone.” Ashlyn told her.

“Oh ok. You should go out and see them. Give Elijah a kiss for me.” Ali said quietly, staring at Tristan like he might vanish at any second.

Ashlyn shook her head. “No. You’re going to go too. You need to get out of here for a little bit.”

“And leave my baby?” Ali asked, astonished that Ashlyn would suggest that she leave.

Ashlyn sighed. “I know that you don’t want to leave, but you need to remember that you have two little boys, and the oldest really misses his mommy. Please just come eat lunch with Elijah. He needs to be with both of us. He needs to know that his family is ok.” Ashlyn insisted.

“But we aren’t ok!” Ali snapped. “Don’t you get it? Are baby is sick, Ashlyn! You’ve heard what the doctors have been saying. He’s not responding to the medication. We could lose him!” she practically yelled and Ashlyn cringed as she thought about the other families around them that were going through the same thing.

“You think I don’t know all of this, Alex?” Ashlyn whispered. “I’m worried too, but I’m also thinking about our oldest son. Our family. No matter what happens, we still have to think about Elijah.”

Ali stayed silent for a moment and Ashlyn grabbed Ali’s arm and guided her up out of her chair. She knew that it was time to play tough with the defender. “We are going down stairs. You are going to eat the food your parents brought for you. You are going to smile. You’re not going to hurry off. You are going to spend time with our son and show Elijah just how strong his mommy is. Do you understand, Alex?” Ashlyn demanded into her ear. She hated to talk to her wife that way, but Ali needed to see the bigger picture.

Ali nodded.

“Good.” Ashlyn said as she led them out of the room and down to the picnic tables where their family was waiting.

A genuine smile came to Ali’s face when she saw Elijah excitedly running towards her. “Mommy!” He yelled and jumped into her arms. Ali held him tight and buried her face in his hair.

“I’ve missed you, mommy.” He said to her as he held on to her around the neck.

“I’ve missed you too, handsome. So much. Thank you for being good for grandmama and granddaddy while mama and I have been with Tristan.”

“It’s ok. You’re staying with him while he’s sick just like you cuddle in bed with me when I’m sick.”

Ali smiled and pulled back to give her son a kiss on the cheek. She couldn’t believe how mature he was being. “Why don’t we eat some lunch?” Ali suggested and set him down on the ground.

Elijah agreed happily and grabbed his mom’s hand to drag her over to the picnic table. Ali gave her mom and dad a hug before sitting down between her wife and son. Elijah explained how he had picked out the kind of sandwich to get his mommy for lunch, and Ali agreed that he had picked out her favorite and ate it happily. She giggled when her mom pulled out a piece of chocolate cake and explained that Elijah insisted that they get it. Ali and Elijah shared the cake, Ali letting Elijah eat most of it and then cleaned the chocolate from his mouth with her thumb.

After they had finished eating and when the adults were all just talking, Elijah found his way into Ali’s lap and leaned his head back into her chest and closed his eyes.

“Are you sleepy, baby?” Ali whispered to him as she wrapped her arms around him to hold him close.

Elijah nodded and she kissed the top of his head to signal that it was ok if he decided he wanted to go to sleep in her arms.

“He hasn’t been sleeping well.” Ken informed his daughter.

Ali and Ashlyn’s attention both perked at the new information.

“He hasn’t? You didn’t mention it before.” Ashlyn said with some concern laced in her voice.

“We didn’t want to bother you guys with it. You have enough on your hands right now. He’s just had a few nightmares but he always calms down when one of us goes and lies down with him.” Deb explained.

Ali leaned into Ashlyn’s side and sighed tiredly as Ashlyn wrapped an arm around her. “Mom,” Ali started and positioned herself better into Ashlyn’s side so Elijah could sleep comfortably. “You need to tell us stuff like this. If I knew he was having nightmares then I would have sent Ashlyn home to be with him at night.”

Ken scoffed. “And have Ashlyn leave you here alone? No way. You two need to be together right now.”

“But we also need to be thinking about what’s best for both of our boys.” Ali insisted.

Deb nodded. “We understand. But he’s really been fine other than the few nightmares. And he is always better when someone comes in to sleep with him.”

Ashlyn nodded and mulled the situation over for a moment. She looked down to her tired wife curled into her side and her sleeping son resting his head on his mother’s chest. “Why don’t you go home with them and take a nap, Alex? He will sleep better having you there and you need to actually sleep. Like in a real bed.” Ashlyn suggested.

Ali shook her head. “No, I can’t leave Tristan.”

“I’m going to stay here. He won’t be alone. Go home and be with Elijah for a little while. He needs you just as much as Tristan does.” Ashlyn explained.

Ali sighed. She really was tired, and she had enjoyed just being able to be with her son and enjoy his innocence. She appreciated that he didn’t realize how sick his little brother was, it made him the only person that was treating Ali like everything was normal.

“Ok.” She whispered out in agreement to her wife’s plan. “But only for a few hours.”

Ashlyn smiled and placed a kiss to her wife’s temple. “Good. I’m going to go back up to Tristan. You go home with your parents and take a good nap.”

“Ok. Bye, love you.” Ali said as she sat up straight and let her wife slide off the bench of the picnic table.

“Love you too.” Ashlyn told her before she gave Ken and Deb a hug before walking back into the hospital.

~~ Three Hours Later ~~

Ashlyn watched her son’s heart monitor closely. She could swear that the beats were slowing down. She looked to Tristan and saw that he was lying almost completely still. She began to panic and rushed out of the room to find the nearest nurse…then she called Ali.


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LAST CHAPTER

Ali and Ashlyn both watched helplessly as the doctors worked on their baby. It seemed like time was moving in slow motion but all too fast at the same time.

It was the constant buzz coming from the monitor that brought Ashlyn out of her trance. She pulled Ali tightly into her as she saw the doctor walking towards them. She didn’t want to hear it, she wanted to shield Ali from hearing it, she wanted the earth to swallow her up so she didn’t have to see her wife grieve the loss of their baby boy.

~~ ~~

The next few days were hard. Ali stayed grieving in their bedroom, she didn’t come out. She wouldn’t eat the food that Ashlyn and her mother brought her. She would occasionally let Elijah stay with her, to comfort her, to grieve with her. The little boy couldn’t possibly understand how he could have a little brother one day and for him to be gone the next.

Ashlyn was the one making all the arrangements. She, first, had to notify everyone, which really only consisted of calling her family and Whitney, and Whitney then offering to take care of everyone else. Speaking of funeral arrangements to Ali was a lost cause, they both only ended up in tears every time it was mentioned, so Ashlyn decided to handle it herself. She was shocked when the funeral home asked her what clothes they wanted to bury him in…she didn’t know, she never even got to dress him herself.

~~

Getting Ali to the funeral was difficult. She looked like a wreck, but she was there, sitting in the front row, wrapped in her father’s arms…crying.

Ashlyn took courage in having all of their friends there. Ali’s teammates from both the spirit and the national team. All of the girls who ever had Ashlyn as a coach, both spirit and UNC. She took a deep breath as she looked out over the crowd before starting the eulogy. She let her eyes rest on Elijah, who was sitting in Whitney’s lap with Chris holding his hand. She couldn’t believe that she was doing this again, saying a eulogy in front of her son, a little boy who had lost two very important people, both will he probably never remember.

She started. “I don’t have much to say, I don’t think any of us have much to say in a moment like this. I’ve been thinking the past few days about how the world could just keep turning when I felt like my whole world was crashing down around me, but then I realized…my world isn’t crashing down. My wife once told me that a family means to love each other. To put each other first. To be there for each other. To support and cherish each other. And I plan on doing that, and I know that I can count on all of you, as our family, to do the same. Tristan had such little time on this earth, but he taught me something very important. He taught me what it means to be a family. When Tristan died, for the first time, I really understood those words my wife told me and I’m putting them into action.” She took a long breath and closed her eyes for a second. “I’m going to live out what I’ve learned in this brief time with my son because I know that’s why he was given to us. He wasn’t given to us and taken away to cause us grief. He was given to us to show us something of importance. And I’ll always remember that.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali had her mother and brother take her home immediately following the funeral. Ashlyn stayed to oversee everything with the help of her own family. When almost everyone was gone except Ken, Whitney, and Elijah, Ashlyn made her way over to them. She took Elijah from Ken’s arms and held him close.

“You ok?” Whitney asked as she put a comforting hand on her bestfriend’s back.

Ashlyn nodded. “You two can go on back to the house. Elijah and I will be back later.”

Ken furrowed his brow at her. “Where will you be?”

“I just have something I need to do and I want Elijah with me.”

Whitney sighed, “Ash, I don’t think it’s good for you to be alone right now.”

“I’m fine. I’ll see you guys later.” She said as she walked off to her jeep with Elijah.

They pulled up to a tattoo shop a few minutes later and Ashlyn carried Elijah inside. The woman behind the desk recognized Ashlyn and gave her a sad smile. Ashlyn had been in the day before to meet with the artist and had explained that she would be coming by after the funeral.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

Ashlyn nodded and they went to a back room. They printed the design on Ashlyn’s back.

“Do you like it?” Ashlyn asked Elijah, who was watching curiously.

Elijah nodded as he looked to see the print underneath his name on his mom’s back. It read “Tristan Kyle Harris - ’14”

Ashlyn gave the artist the go ahead and it was done after a couple of hours. Now she had both of her boys’ name on her back to remind her just what it means to be a family. She wouldn’t forget.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ali didn’t have the will to make it to the 2015 World Cup. Their family was missing a piece and their hearts hadn’t recovered, nor would they ever recover.

However, Ali and Ashlyn both approached the 2016 Olympics with the blessing of new beginnings. Ali was back in full force, she amazed everyone, even herself, with running times better than she had pre-pregnancy. Ashlyn was now the new head goal keeper coach for the U.S. Women, allowing the little family to be able to travel together for games.

Now, they both stood on the pitch, in Brazil, hands over their hearts as they sang the U.S. national anthem before the start of the gold medal match. At the end of the anthem and line-ups, the players came back to the bench to remove their warm-up jackets before starting the game. Ashlyn made her way over to Ali, wrapping her in a hug from behind.

“I’m proud of you, baby” she whispered in her wife’s ear.

Ali smiled and turned around in the coach’s arms to give her a tight hug. “I’m proud of you too, Coach Harris. Thank you.”

Ashlyn scrunched her face at the defender. “Why are you thanking me?”

“Because I couldn’t have made it here without you, I couldn’t have gotten through everything in the past two years to get here without you always supporting me and pushing me forward. I love you.”

Ashlyn smiled and gave her wife a kiss on the forehead before pulling apart. “I love you too, baby. Now go kick some ass out there.”

Ali giggled and started to walk away from her wife to join the other players who were having last minute pre-game pep talks before she quickly turned back to Ashlyn. “Wait! We promised Elijah that we would wave to him before the game started.” Ali said to her.

“Oh yeah.” The blonde turned to the side of the field that she knew her and Ali’s parents’ seats were on and began to look diligently for her son. “There he is.” Ashlyn pointed out as she spotted him.

Ali and Ashlyn both smiled and waved in that direction as they noticed Elijah look their way. The 7 year-old boy was sitting between Ken and Deb, and sitting in Deb’s lap was her new 6 month-old grandson. Ali and Ashlyn had adopted him only four months ago. They had started the adoption process before the Olympics, thinking that it would take a while to go through the system. Little did they know that a teenage mother would literally leave her three week-old baby boy on the front steps of the adoption agency that the couple had visited the month before.

Neither woman had given their upcoming busy schedules a second thought when they were asked to come down to the adoption agency to meet a baby boy that would be perfect for them. And after having the baby placed in Ali’s arms for the first time, there was no doubt that the baby was meant to be theirs. 6 weeks later everything was processed and Ashlyn, Ali, and Elijah finally got to bring home a baby boy to the bedroom they had prepared almost two years earlier.

Ashlyn hung a sign with the baby’s name on the nursery door, the same name that was now tattooed on her back right below Elijah and Tristan. John Lucas. He completed their family.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note- Don’t be mad! I’ve had most of this ending written since the story began. This was always the plan and I apologize if it was too much for you. Sad to see this one finally come to an end, but it was time. Thanks for all the comments and kudos I’ve gotten with this. It has really meant a lot to me. Keep looking for more stories from me. Thanks!


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